With This Heart
by A'isha Ishtar
Summary: Sequel to With These Hands. Becky is being sent to live with her father in America for a month, leaving her boyfriend, friends, and mother. When she comes back, is there any hope of breaking her curse... or Yuki's? Yuki/OC, other pairings inside.
1. Chapter 1

**OK, a few things before I go totally crazy.**

**One, this is a sequel. It may be fine on its own, but you should probably read the first one, "With These Hands", before starting this one, as it contains vital info that happened in the first story that you may want to read in more detail.**

**Two, thank you for deciding to read! :D**

**Three, disclaimer: If I owned Fruits Basket, I would make an episode where everyone had to SING. And DANCE. ... And turn into their Zodiac animal every five seconds cuz they're soooooo cute! I only own Becky, Nancy, Jason, Bret, all the other OC's (whose names I cannot reveal yet), the Bridges curse, and the plot.**

**Four, pairings! They are: Yuki/OC (and I think everyone knows who the OC is XD), Mayuko/Hatori/OC (loooooove triangleeeeeee! And I think you know who the OC is here too), Ayame/OC (that won't come in for a while but it WILL happen), and Ritsu/OC (also won't come in for a while but WILL happen)**

**OK, now I shall go totally crazy...  
**

**HELLOOOOOOOO! OMG are you all as excited as I am? A sequel, wonderful readers! OK, first of all, I would like to thank EVERYBODY who reviewed the first story, "With These Hands". Ahem… so, thank you:**

**CrimsonlightofDeath, michelleandjulia, LadyMiraculous, Mommiya Ichigo, xXemLyXx, Vanez, SilentXFreak, SingingSyd, Ayaka Haninozuka Sohma, and Eternal Conflict**

**It would be amazing if you guys continued and let me know how you like the sequel. I can promise that it will be longer. Lots of love, keep reading! This chapter may be a little boring for those who have read the first one, but it's just a recap and such. I felt the need to just recap a little bit, get everybody back into the feel of Yuki and Becky's relationship and friendship and how it grew to where they are now.**

**Well… I hope you enjoy, everyone! :)**

_With this heart, I will recall our precious memories._

Becky Bridges had never considered herself a lucky girl. After all, the entire female side of her family possessed a curse that meant their lives could never be normal. If they were kissed anywhere besides the lips, the other person's lips were a flame to them. If they were kissed on the lips, all parts of that person's body were burning cinders. It was why her last boyfriend, Mike Dallas, had broken up with her. She had been together with him for six months, and one evening she had finally allowed him to kiss her. The pain had been too much, and she'd fainted. Then he was afraid, and ran away, telling her he couldn't handle it. Soon after that, her mother, Nancy Bridges, had moved them to a city called Kaibara, in Japan.

That was where she had met the guy who was currently her boyfriend, and he was the one that _could_ handle her curse. Why? Because he had a curse of his own.

Her boyfriend, Yuki Sohma, came from a family that was possessed by the animals of the Zodiac. They morphed into their animal when they were hugged by the opposite sex or if they were under a lot of stress. Yuki was the rat; his older and far more flamboyant brother Ayame (who most everyone including Becky called Aya) was the snake. Hatori, an old college flame of her mother's, was the dragon, though he transformed into a seahorse; Shigure was the dog; Kyo, the cat; Hatsuharu, the cow; Ritsu (the lovable emotional basket case of the family), the monkey; Momiji, the rabbit; Kagura, the boar; Hiro, the sheep; Kisa, the tiger; Rin, the horse. Kureno Sohma (who she had never met) had previously been the rooster, but he'd had his curse broken and had left the main house to go out on his own. Akito Sohma was the head of the family, and he had been the one to take Becky and her mother into the house because they had discovered the curse and he didn't trust them. He had once gone so far as to spy on Becky while she was on a date with Yuki, by wiring Ritsu. Since then, however, Becky hadn't heard anything about him.

Tohru Honda also lived with the Sohma family, and was Kyo's girlfriend. Her mother had been killed in car accident, and they had let her stay with them in exchange for her cooking and doing housework. She was the first person to act nicely toward Becky when she first moved to Kaibara. Most of the rest of the Sohma family followed suite.

Becky considered Yuki to be her best friend, because he was her boyfriend, and she didn't want them to just be labeled as a couple. She had been his friend before she had become his girlfriend, and she wanted to stay his friend. She didn't know how to describe it. Boyfriends and girlfriends should have a relationship that went deeper than just being together because they wanted to be with _someone_. That was how her relationship with Yuki was. She wanted to be with Yuki because she loved him. They could sit together for hours and just not talk, enjoying the silence because nothing had to be said. But if they wanted to talk to each other, they could at least have an intelligent conversation. It wouldn't be all like, "Oh, I love you so much! You're so pretty! Do you love me? I love you!" Neither of them liked that kind of airheaded thing. Once in a while, sure, just to have fun, but not every time they were together. Yuki didn't care how she looked; recently, when his fan club had dumped punch all over her at the Fall Dance, and her hair was soaked, and her make-up was running… he still told her she looked beautiful. He was just looking for someone who understood him. She didn't completely understand him yet, but… she was doing her best. One day, she _would_ understand him, she promised herself.

However, fantasies like that couldn't last forever. Before they had become a couple, Becky's father Jason, who she thought had been divorced from her mother for the past twelve years, showed up, along with her younger brother Bret, who was apparently a happy emo. Jason hadn't really been divorced from her mother, but he wanted to be, filed for it, and they got a divorce. But it wasn't over after that. Becky had convinced Yuki to masquerade as her boyfriend while her father was there, because he thought she had one. They had to attend the custody trial with her mother, where the judge ruled that she was to spend a month with Jason and then decide who she wanted to live with.

The previous Friday had been her last day in Kaibara. She had worn a kimono that Ayame had made for her (he owned a romantic clothing store) and attended the Fall Dance with Yuki. He cheered her up after his fangirls wrecked her dress and hair (which Ayame had freaked out over, by the way, at once attacking her hair with a hose and a comb), and they shared one last dance to their favorite song, "In My Arms" by Plumb. Shigure had commented that it was now "their song" because they had shared their first slow dance to it.

But today was Saturday, and she had to leave. During the morning, she had shared one last breakfast with the Sohma family. After that, she had spent most of the morning with her mother and Yuki, packing several suitcases. She would be traveling alone on the plane, as her father and Bret had already gone back to their home in Omaha, Nebraska. She would arrive in the Omaha Airport, where Jason and Bret would pick her up.

Everything was happening so fast. As she had been saying for the past probably two weeks since her father first called… she really didn't want to go.

Leaving her mother, her friends the Sohmas, and her boyfriend Yuki would completely kill her.

Worse yet, she was going to have to spend a not-so-merry Christmas with her drug-alcohol-and-nicotine-addicted father and her hyper emo brother.

This month was not going to be fun at all.

_**Preview of Chapter 2…**_

_**-xxx-**_

_She let go of his wrists and weakly beat her fists against his chest. "It's not fair! I don't wanna leave you guys!"_

"_Rebecca." He rubbed her back. "I don't want you to leave, and nobody else does either. Everyone down there is sad that you're leaving. There isn't anybody at all who's going to be able to sleep soundly tonight. I know __**I**__ won't be sleeping at all."_

_She sniffled. "Tohru-chan will. That girl could sleep through a __**tsunami**__."_

"_Yes," Yuki chuckled. "A tsunami caused by Ritsu's __**tears**__."_

_Becky laughed. "I miss you already."_


	2. Chapter 2

**(Thanks to Ruichan134 for reviewing the first chapter! ^^)**

_With this heart, I will let you go only because I love you._

It was nearly time for Becky to leave, but she wasn't downstairs. All her luggage was downstairs, the suitcases and her carry-on. All the Sohmas plus Tohru and minus Akito were gathered in the living room, ready to say their good-byes. Nancy would be driving her to the airport, and Yuki would be accompanying them so that he could spend as much time with her as possible.

But she was still in her room. She sat on her bed, curled up in a ball, not wanting to move.

The door opened and somebody sat down on the bed, putting their hands on her shoulders. "Rebecca," came Yuki's voice. "Everyone's down there waiting for you. Your mother is mentally breaking down because you're still up here and Ritsu is on the verge of a panic attack. You have to get going." He squeezed her shoulders. "If you don't go, they'll take you away… and I'll never see you again."

"I don't want to go, Yuki!" She turned around and grasped his wrists, burying her face in his chest. She cried and screamed into his shirt, kicking her feet on the bed. "I don't wanna go! I don't wanna!"She let go of his wrists and weakly beat her fists against his chest. "It's not fair! I don't wanna leave you guys!"

"Rebecca." He rubbed her back. "I don't want you to leave, and nobody else does either. Everyone down there is sad that you're leaving. There isn't anybody at all who's going to be able to sleep soundly tonight. I know **I** won't be sleeping at all."

She sniffled. "Tohru-chan will. That girl could sleep through a _tsunami_."

"Yes," Yuki chuckled. "A tsunami caused by Ritsu's _tears_."

Becky laughed. "I miss you already."

"I miss you too." He stood up, taking her with him. "Come on. Let's go say good-bye to everyone."

She wiped her eyes. "O-Okay, Yuki."

Yuki walked her down the stairs and into the living room. She felt her heart being squeezed when she saw the entirety of the Sohma family except for Akito, along with Tohru, standing in the living room. Momiji, Kagura, Kisa, and Hiro all held a banner that read "We'll Miss You Becky". All of them looked up at her and said, in nearly perfect unison, "Good-bye, Rebecca."

"… Rebecca," Kyo finished loudly, having not kept with the rest of them.

"Ohhhh." Becky put a hand to her chest. "Yeah… if you guys all just heard a loud cracking sound, that would be my heart breaking."

Yuki gave her a gentle push. "Go say your good-byes to everyone," he told her softly.

Becky first stepped in front of Hatori. "Hatori-san…" She bowed, and shook his hand. "I'm really grateful for you taking care of me when I fainted."

"I'm a doctor, Rebecca." He rubbed her head, a hint of a smiling showing at the edges of his lips. "It's my job."

She smiled. "Don't let my mom do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"I would be happy to oblige."

"Thanks." She moved to Rin. "Hey, Rin-chan… I haven't really known you that long."

"Not really…" Rin smiled. "But you seem like a really great person, Becky. I know Haru's definitely going to miss you… so I will, too."

She nodded. "Thanks." She moved to Shigure. "Shigure-san…" She took his hands, and smiled at him. "You take care of my mother, you sly dog."

"Ah, well, if you insist…" He grinned and gave her a friendly sock in the shoulder. "Keep your nose clean, kid."

"I will." She next went to Ayame. "Aya… what can I say to you? I mean, you're my boyfriend's brother. One minute I'm asking you for advice… the next I'm yelling at you for stealing a pair of Yuki's underwear, filling them with pudding, and sticking them in the freezer. And then you're threatening to beat me senseless with frozen-chocolate boxers unless we give you a display of affection before lunch." **(1)** She giggled, shaking her head. "I'm gonna miss your complete and utter flamboyance, Aya. I don't know how on Earth I'll manage without all the drama you cause."

"And I'll miss your stunningly refreshing sense of humor, Becca." He reached over and tousled her hair, giving her a bittersweet smile. "But I know that you and my sweet brother will manage a temporarily long-distance relationship perfectly. He takes after me in the romance department, you know, and I would never give up the woman I loved!" He shook his head. "You just stay out of trouble, young lady, and… and you'll be back before any of us know it, dear. And I promise you, there will be a special set of costumes waiting for you and Yuki when you come back – for our annual New Year's party. It'll be fun."

Next was Hatsuharu. "Oh, Haru. You were _never_ mean to me." She reached over and ran a hand through his white bangs and black roots. "And I love your crazy hair, you punk you!" She leaned over and whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear, "By the way, I always knew your hair wasn't dyed, even before I knew about the curse!" Everyone laughed, which she appreciated.

"I think we're _all_ gonna miss that humor," Hatsuharu grinned. "I was just glad I could always be there when you needed me." He winked at her. "I'm gonna put all that energy into loving Rin now."

"Yay, good for you!"

Next were Tohru and Kyo. Becky felt her eyes well with tears as she looked at the couple. She'd been through a lot with them. "Tohru-chan… you were the first person who was nice to me when I got here." She smiled through her tears. "If… If it wasn't for you, I never would have met the Sohmas and I wouldn't have gotten to be Yuki's girlfriend. I just… I really can't put into words what I'm feeling now that I'm going to be leaving you. You're like… the sister I always wanted. When I was growing up? I always wished for a sister, but… you know."

"Oh, I know. You're like a sister to me too, and I'm going to miss you so much. I don't know what I'll do on weekends without your help to wake everyone up." She held out her arms. "Becky-chan, can I have one last hug before you go?"

"Of course, Tohru-chan." She wrapped her arms around Tohru, feeling her do the same. "Thanks a lot."

"You, too," Tohru answered quietly. "I really don't know how I'm going to handle Ritsu's insecurity all alone. We were better at it when we were a team."

"D-Don't worry, Tohru-chan. This month is just gonna fly right by. Hopefully for both of us."

Tohru let go. "Well… try to have fun with your dad. I mean… you don't appreciate your family till you don't have them anymore."

Becky nodded. "I'll do my best." She looked over at Kyo. "And Kyo-kun… well… we've been through a lot, too."

He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Yeah, I guess we have. Just don't get too mushy with this, okay?"

"What, you're not gonna miss me?"

"Well, of _course_ I'm gonna miss you. Who's gonna go over and TP Shigure's house with me when he hits on Tohru-koi?" **(2)**

"THAT WAS _YOU TWO_?" Shigure shouted. "I punished Ri for that!"

"And I deserved it because I knew they were doing it and I didn't tell you!"

"_YOU __**WHAT**_?"

"I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M _SORRY_!"

Becky groaned. "I'll get to _you_ in a moment, Ritsu!"

"I'm sorry!"

She sighed. "Okay. Look, Kyo… I know we fight, and I know we're mean to each other sometimes, and we argue a _lot_… and you're almost as hard to wake up in the morning as Yuki… and I lost my point."

"You and me? Fighting? Is there a 'but' coming any time soon?"

"Oh, yeah! _But_… I think of you like a brother, too. And I'm really gonna miss you."

"Alright, yeah, well…" He looked down, putting his hands in his pockets. "If Tohru-koi talks about you constantly, I _will_ call you up just to give you a piece of my mind. And if _Yuki_…"

"Alright, that's enough, shut your cat trap."

"Alright, fine. I'll miss ya."

She was now at Momiji and the younger Sohmas. "Momiji-kun… before you do _anything_…"

"Becca-chan, I'm gonna miss you so much!" He jumped forward and wrapped his arms around her. A poof and a cloud of smoke, and he was suddenly a little yellow rabbit.

Becky giggled and picked him up, hugging him again and everybody else (herself included) turning away to let him get dressed. When he was, she turned back to him. "I am going to miss you so much too, Momiji-kun. You were one of the first Sohmas who really did accept me. Remember that game of hopscotch we played when we first met?"

There were tears in Momiji's big hazel eyes, and she wasn't sure if she could take any more of his being sad. "B-Becca-chan… when y-you get back… can we play some more hopscotch?"

She ruffled his hair, smiling at him. "Momiji-kun, when I get back, I will play hopscotch with you _every day_ if you want." She winked. "As long as you let Yuki play, too!"

"Why did you have to say _that_?" Yuki groaned.

She giggled and leaned down to the three little Sohmas – Kagura, Kisa, and Hiro. "Okay, guys. I really don't know you very well, but… I am gonna miss you guys, especially Kisa 'cause you're such a little sweetheart."

Kisa blushed and turned away. "Becky-chan…"

"Alright, guys, you all give me a nuzzle, here."

All three of them nuzzled noses with her, and she returned it. She then kissed the girls on the cheek and planted one on top of Hiro's head before he could get away from it, which he tried vainly to do. She ruffled each of their hair and smiled at them. "Hey… Kagura-chan?"

"What, Becks-chan?"

She grinned. "You spend enough time with Kyo for the _both_ of us while I'm gone!"

Kagura's entire face lit up. "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!"

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY THAT FOR?" Kyo yelled.

"Because although I love you, I love torturing you far more." She moved finally to Ritsu. "Oh, and Ritsu." She brushed his hair away from his eyes to see him crying. "You poor thing, I don't think I'll ever survive without you. You're one of the sweetest guys I've ever met, and I'm so happy that I met you."

He sniffled, wiping his eyes. "Y-You mean… Your mean you aren't embarrassed to say that you're friends with me, Re-chan?"

"Of course not. I take pride in it!" She smiled and shook her head. "Don't you _ever_ cut this beautiful hair, Ritsu." She winked at him. "I already told Yuki not to cut his, so you've got a support group there. And when I come back, I expect to find your confidence levels through the roof and a young lady on your arm!"

Ritsu's eyes widened. "Y-You mean… l-like a… like a _girlfriend_? I'm so sorry, Re-chan, but I don't know if I can do _that_!"

She gave him a friendly punch in the arm. "Hey. I _know_ you can."

He looked down. "Of course… I'm sorry, Re-chan, I should believe in myself more…"

She smiled. "Just believe in yourself as much as _I_ believe in you."

He looked back up at her, and smiled, a light blush on his cheeks. "… Thank you for helping me so much, Re-chan. I'm sorry to say that I'll probably never be able to repay you."

"That's okay. When I come back and see you with skyrocketed confidence – hopefully close to Aya's level – that'll be payment enough."

"Just so you know," Shigure commented, "that is _not_ possible."

"Oh, shut up. Don't you see I'm trying to work my _magic_ here?"

Ritsu clutched his hands together at his chest. "I'll miss you so much. I don't know what I'm going to do around here without you…"

"Don't worry, Ritsu." She smiled. "A month isn't too long. I'll be back before you've even had a chance to miss me."

"Time to go," Nancy called. "Say good-bye one last time."

Becky waved at everybody. "Good-bye, everyone! I'll miss you all so much, and you'll all be in my thoughts every day!"

"Good-bye, Rebecca!" they all cried back. "You'll be with us too!"

-xxx-

"You're almost a woman, Rebecca." Nancy was holding her daughter in a tight hug at the airport. "I know I shouldn't worry about you as much as I do, but…" She shrugged, sighing. "Because of the curse, I worry more than I need to. Tie that in with the Sohma curse… and it's a recipe for disaster. But even though I will miss you… I want you to have fun. I know I've probably made you believe that your father is, like, this evil villain… you know, like the ones from those Disney movies you loved when you were little? Like the evil bad guy who's trying to take you away from me. But… he can be okay when he wants to be, I guess. Just try to have fun, baby girl."

"I will, Ma. I'll miss you so much. I don't even… I'll call you every day."

"Oh… you don't have to. But do that."

She giggled. "Okay."

Becky moved to Yuki, who was standing right behind her mother. "Yuki…"

He shook his head. "Rebecca… I don't know what to say… I'm not very good at this."

"That's okay. Neither am I."

"I think… we should both just… do and say what we're feeling."

"Well, I like food, but your cooking is something I will never eat again in my life."

Yuki chuckled. "Like I said, your humor… it's going to feel like something's missing around the house when you're gone." He placed his hands on the sides of her waist. "Now. If you're not going to talk to me every day… you should kiss me. If you _are_ going to talk to me every day… well… you should still kiss me."

"Yuki."

"Hey, last kiss for an entire _month_, remember?"

"Well… only because you reminded me of that." It was her who made the first move this time. She pressed her lips to his, clutching his wrists so tightly she was probably bruising them. The skin of his wrists scorched the palms of her hands, inflaming the wounds she'd received just the previous night. His lips singed hers, and he knew so, for he tried to press lightly. But she wouldn't let him. She didn't care right now how badly it hurt. This was the last time she would be kissing him for a month. She didn't care. "I-I… I'm going to m-miss you so much," she whispered against his lips, tears rolling down to soothe the burns.

"I'm going to miss you so much, too." He tilted her face up, nuzzling her cheek with his nose. "I promise that I am going to call you at least twice a day. I can even let you speak to the others, if you'd like."

"Oh, Yuki… how are we going to do this? How are we going to stay together for an entire month if we're on different sides of the world?"

"Don't worry. We'll get through it, Rebecca – I know we will." He wrapped his hand around her wrist and gave it a loving squeeze. "Look at everything else we've gotten through."

"Yeah. I… I have to go… I wish I could hug you, just one more time."

"I would want nothing more… but we can't." He gave her a gentle smile, letting go of her hand. "But as soon as you get back, the first thing I expect is to be turned into a rat."

She giggled. "Don't worry! I would never pass up a chance to do that."

"Good." He looked down. "Hey Rebecca…"

"Yeah, Yuki?"

"You know… how when boyfriends and girlfriends… when they leave each other, especially for a long time…" He looked a little uncomfortable, and actually really sad. "They always say 'I love you' to each other?" His eyes met hers, and the usually icy shield around them had melted, exposing a softer, more vulnerable violet. And it was apparently still melting, because he was crying now.

She smiled back at him, looking down and closing her eyes. She knew exactly what he was trying to say, and she knew what her answer needed to be. "I love you, too, Yuki."

He sighed. "I know this is taking forever, and I've said it already… but I just have to say it one more time." He placed his lips very lightly on top of her head, so that she barely felt it. "I'm going to miss you."

She kissed his cheek. "Sorry for saying it again, but… I'll miss you, too."

"…" He turned her around, and gave her a slight shove toward the gate. His lashes pointed down, tears plopping from his hidden eyes. "Good-bye."

"Bye, Yuki." She took a few steps.

"Hey, Rebecca!"

She looked back. "What is it, Yuki?"

He was smiling at her. His cheeks were lit up with blush, tears streaming down his face. **(A/N: You can practically see the bishie sparkles, can't you?)** Nancy had a hand on his shoulder, and she was smiling but crying as well. He waved at her, closing his eyes.

"I'll be right here waiting when you get back! I promise!"

**(1) - Oh, Aya! XD**

**(2) - Not surprisingly, I can actually see Becky agreeing to do something like this with Kyo. O.o  
**

**D'awwwwww! How sweet and sad!**

**The next chapter is going to be REALLY long, and you will find out why. Eh… it's just 300 words shy of being 4,000 words. SO FORGIVE ME AND PUT UP WITH MY EXTREMELY DRAWN-OUT DETAILING!**

… **Here's the preview anyway…**

_**Preview of Chapter 3…**_

_**-xxx-**_

"_Oh, Aya's going to have so much fun with you. Did he tell you what our special costumes are going to be?"_

"… _Yes, but he made me super-secret-promise not to tell you."_

_She rolled her eyes. "And what happens if you break a super-secret-promise?"_

"… _He'll dress me up in a maid's outfit, put my hair in pigtails, smother strawberry-flavored lip gloss on my mouth, and paint my nails hot pink."_

"… _Fingers __**and**__ toes, or just fingers?"_

"_Fingers and toes."_

"_Okay, I guess it'll be a surprise then. Tell Aya I said to go easy on you."_

"_That's not going to deter him from playing dress-up and using me as a mannequin."_


	3. Chapter 3

_With this heart, I will be touched by your family's words._

The flight to Omaha was long and lonely. Becky sat alone in her row, with her carry-on beside her. It held a few things for her to do: MP3 player, GameBoy, portable DVD player… and a scrapbook the Sohmas had put together for her. She hadn't looked at it yet. Shigure and Ayame had given it to her that morning, and they made her swear not to look at it until she was actually flying. She wanted to look at it… but at the same time she was sure it would just make her even sadder.

She debated calling Yuki's cell phone from hers. It had only been and hour and a half since she'd left. It was like she couldn't function without him. She knew she had to work on that; if she didn't, there was no way she and Yuki could be together. They would have to be apart sometimes, perhaps for several days. If she couldn't stand even an hour without him, there was no way she would be able to stand even a day without him. But if she could stand an entire month without him, just talking to him… then she could handle any length of time while still keeping their relationship strong.

However, at the moment she was a weak, weak person. She took out her phone and dialed Yuki's number. She twisted her hand at her chest, pulling her white V-necked top down a little. Why was it suddenly so hot in here?

"Hi, beautiful."

Her heart lifted and she felt happier when she heard Yuki's voice on the other end. "Yuki?"

"Hello, Rebecca. What's the matter? Are you on the plane?"

"Yeah… and I have no forking idea _how_ the hell my phone is working 3,000 feet in the air."

He chuckled. "Oh, that humor again. You're going to make me beg for it someday, you know. When you don't want to say anything funny and I need a laugh."

"Yeah, probably."

"… So… why did you call me? Have you looked at the scrapbook yet?"

"No. I just… I just wanted to hear your voice. It's so lonely. There's nobody I know with me, I'm going to a place I don't want to live with people I don't want anything to do with… and you're not here. You and my mom are still in Japan while I'm flying to America to live with my dad. I'm just so lonely without you."

"Oh, Rebecca. You're making me feel touched and heartbroken at the same time. I hate that I can't be there with you… but it makes me happy to know that I'm that special to you."

"You _are_, Yuki. I don't know if I can do this."

"You can, Rebecca. I know you're strong enough to survive without me for a while. My issue is how long I can survive with Ayame making your costume by fitting it on me because you and I are almost the same size."

"Oh, Aya's going to have so much fun with you. Did he tell you what our special costumes are going to be?"

"… Yes, but he made me super-secret-promise not to tell you."

She rolled her eyes. "And what happens if you break a super-secret-promise?"

"… He'll dress me up in a maid's outfit, put my hair in pigtails, smother strawberry-flavored lip gloss on my mouth, and paint my nails hot pink."

"… Fingers _and _toes, or just fingers?"

"Fingers and toes."

"Okay, I guess it'll be a surprise then. Tell Aya I said to go easy on you."

"That's not going to deter him from playing dress-up and using me as a mannequin."

"I'm sorry, baby. You know he's only trying to spend time with you."

"I know, but I wish he could do it in a more normal way. Like taking me to the movies or something. Or helping me write love poems to my girlfriend."

"Awww, you give me a love poem every time you open your mouth, cutie."

"Ohhhh, if you could see me you'd know I was blushing."

"Aww, I'm missing it! You're so cute when you blush. I can't believe this… I'm gonna be gone for an _entire month_."

"Why don't you look at the scrapbook, Rebecca? I think it'll make you feel better. Ugh, I have to go – Ayame's back with the different patterns for me to look at."

"Okay, I'll look at it. Bye-bye, baby."

"Good-bye, beautiful."

Becky hung up and sighed. She put her cell phone in her bag and pulled out the scrapbook. It was a big white binder that Kisa and Kagura had likely had fun decorating with various paint splatters (Hiro had probably refused to do something so childish). On the front it read in big black letters: "The Sohma Family and Tohru Plus Rebecca". She opened it and read the introduction.

_To Rebecca Bridges:_

_Though you don't hold our name (yet!), we all want to thank you for joining the Sohma family! Just like Tohru, you have brought a happiness to our lives. (By the way, Akito doesn't know we made this so… screw him because he doesn't like you! He'll never find out. ^^)_

_In the following pages of this book, you will find two things. You will find a page for each member of our Zodiac family (minus Kureno-kun of course), telling you how much they care about you and what you mean to them. They were written by the members, and typed up by myself. The second thing you will find is snapshots from the time you have been in our lives. There's no telling who had a camera when, so be prepared to both laugh and be angry at us!_

_We hope this brings you delight and comfort during the next thirty-one days that you are away from us._

_Love,_

_The Sohmas minus Akito_

_(This foreword was written by Shigure with guidance from the others.)_

Becky smiled. Shigure was such a ham, just like Ayame. "Screw Akito because you doesn't like you"… that was funny. She turned a page, eager to see what everyone had written about her.

As she went along, reading everybody's page, she could hear their voices telling her all of what they'd written.

First, Tohru's friendly, expressive voice.

_**TOHRU HONDA**_

_Hi Becky-chan! When you read this… you'll already be gone, on a plane and far away from us. And that makes me really sad… but then I get happy again because I know you're coming back and you won't be gone for long. The time's going to fly right by!_

_I just wanted to tell you that… well, you've been a really good friend to me, and I hope I've been the same to you. You know, after my mother died… I had nobody. Then I met the Sohmas, and I made friends. And now I've met you! And I'm glad that you've been able to make friends with the Sohmas too. I'm especially glad that you've become Yuki's girlfriend. He's such a kind guy, but he's always been a little… distant. And since you two have become such good friends and have entered this relationship… well, I think he's starting to warm up a little!_

_Mostly what I'm saying is… I'm going to miss you a lot. But I'll be waiting for the day you come back, New Year's! You're really going to enjoy the Zodiac New Year festival and banquet. I can't wait to see you again… but I guess it's good-bye for now._

_So, bye for now, Becky-chan! I'll be seeing you real soon._

_Love,_

_Tohru-chan_

Tohru really did have a way with words.

Next, Hatori's deep, mellow voice.

_**HATORI SOHMA**_

_Rebecca, I'm not really sure there's a lot I can say to you at this point. I will definitely miss you… but I promise to take very good care of your mother while you're gone, so you don't have to worry. (And when I say I'll take good care of her, what I mean is that I'll do my best to keep Shigure away from her.)_

_You remind me so much of your mother, and that makes me smile. I had very good memories with your mother… even if I regret some things that I did or… didn't do. I wished I could have allowed her to hug me, but I couldn't. And I wished I could have kissed her, but she wouldn't let me… and now I know why. I feel remorse that I let her slip through my fingers and marry that man… but I don't completely regret it. If she hadn't married Jason, then we would not have you today. And we all love you very much, especially your mother._

_What I want you to do while you are in America is… please stay out of trouble, and stay safe. Your mother would be heartbroken if something were to happen to you. I wish there were some way I could… cast some sort of spell and a forcefield would protect you. But I can't. What you do is your choice… and I trust you to make all the right choices._

_Love,_

_Hatori Sohma_

That was definitely Hatori, cold and calculating as usual, but concerned for her wellbeing.

Next, Kyo's slightly annoyed but contemplative voice.

_**KYO SOHMA**_

_Hey… Becks. Y'know, when I first met you… I wasn't all that sure I was gonna like you. After all, Tohru-koi made me give up my milk for you. Heh. But then when you brought me milk the next day, I smiled and thought to myself, "Hey, give the girl a chance."_

_I guess you were a pretty good addition to our family. We're all crazy, and so are you… so you fit right in. You're a really girl friend to Tohru-koi, and… I guess I consider you my friend, too._

_Me and Tohru-koi are gonna be thinking of you every day… so you better think of us too, okay?_

_Love,_

_Kyo_

Awww, Kyo was just as mushy as she was… he was just a man of few words.

Next, Shigure's happy, laid-back voice.

_**SHIGURE SOHMA**_

_I'm not really sure what I have to say to you, Rebecca. It's just that… well, you came into our family a little unexpectedly. You sort of just dropped in on us… but you know what? I'm very glad that you did._

_Ever since I met Yuki, he's been very different from others his age. I first attributed it to the curse… his acting polite yet indifferent to everyone he met. But he acted that way around us, too. He met Tohru-chan… and attempted a relationship with her, seemed a little happier. But then he realized he wasn't in love with her… and Kyo was. And he returned to normal. And then you came along. He's got a long way to go before he acts around other people the way he acts around you. But he's showing signs of change. So I thank you for that._

_Aya and I will be waiting for you. Aya's probably going to blow a happy gasket if we get a call from you, so… call! Hehe. We'll miss you._

_Love,_

_Shigure Sohma_

Becky was happy Shigure thought she helped Yuki.

Next was Ayame's deep, dramatic voice.

_**AYAME SOHMA**_

_Becca, my beautiful girl, how time can change people! When I first met you, oh, how shy you were! Much like Ritsu… you lacked confidence. And yet… haha… you weren't afraid to nail my brother one in the face when you discovered he'd lied to you! You were a mass of complications. However… since you've met me, I've given you advice!... and it seems to me you've mellowed out a bit. You've discovered your true personality – a quite outspoken one, if I may say. You are not the shy girl you were when we first met._

_I must admit, however… it was not all my doing._

_My brother changed you, as well. I have watched you together as many times as I am able. Even before you became his girlfriend, you two were so cute together. I always had hopes… the first time that you told me you liked Yuki, my hopes for my little brother soared to the heavens. I've always wanted to know in my heart that he'd found love… and I think he finally has with you. And that makes me very happy._

_Don't ever change, Becca! You're already great the way you are. Gure and I will be waiting with a new costume for you! And I promise I'll talk Yuki into wearing the matching one for you when you get back!_

_Love,_

_Aya_

… That was so completely Ayame, she didn't know what to think.

Next was Hatsuharu's warm but edgy voice.

_**HATSUHARU SOHMA**_

_Becky, there weren't many things going through my mind when I first met you. I just thought, mostly, "Oh, a new girl… she'll probably blend into the background." After all, you seemed so shy and it didn't seem to me like you wanted to be here._

_I was wrong, though. You certainly didn't blend into the background. You became a big part of Tohru and Yuki's lives – and, really, the lives of all the Sohmas. We don't usually trust people with our secret… and when you found out… well… I guess I'd have to say I was a little worried. I thought you would tell everybody. But you didn't. I was so glad to have found another friend… one like Tohru who would never think of blabbing our secret to anybody._

_So, thanks for that. I'll take good care of everyone… especially Rin. Heh. You're a good friend – thanks for that._

_Love,_

_Haru_

She smiled, because Hatsuharu was always so concerned about his family, and happy that he could trust her.

Next was Rin's sweet, melodic voice.

_ISUZU SOHMA (RIN)_

_Becky… what all can I really say? I haven't known you very long at all. I just met you a little while before… the trial. I just met you, and now you're leaving. So I'm not sure what I'm able to say… but let me give it a shot._

_You are one of the cutest girls I've ever seen! You would be even cuter if you would just keep your hair out of your face. Your eyes are really pretty, and they look just like your mother's. Sometimes I think Haru envies your hair… because he used to get teased a lot about his. You know, the two different tones? But anyway… when you get back, I want to see you with your hair up and your bangs out of your eyes. (I think Ritsu told you something to this effect earlier, didn't he? I'm just reinforcing it.)_

_And I think you make Yuki really happy. Yuki and Haru didn't always get along… but they are now. And I think that you being friends with both of them is also helping with that. So thank you. I'll miss you, and when you get back, you and I have to do some girl bonding._

_Love,_

_Rin_

She was _absolutely_ going to take Rin up on that offer.

Next was Momiji's upbeat, bubbly voice.

_**MOMIJI SOHMA**_

_Becca-chan, I don't think there are any words for how much I'm going to miss you! But I do look forward to playing hopscotch with you EVERY DAY when you get back here, hee-hee!_

_You were always so nice to me… I remember the first time we met. When you were walking home from school? And even though you had a lot of homework and it was your first day you stopped and played a game of hopscotch with me! I don't think I'll ever forget that, because it was so nice of you. And… when you found out about the curse… I didn't know what to think. I hoped you weren't like all the others. Most people, when they find out about our curse… they get scared of us and run away, and Hatori-san has to track them down to erase their minds. Even my own mother was scared… the first time she held me and I transformed. She WANTED her memories erased. And then… when I found out that you weren't scared… that made me really happy. I never had to worry about hugging you, because I knew you didn't care that I transformed. You didn't care that any of us did. You like us just the way we all were, and… that made me feel really good._

_Thanks for always loving us the way we are, Becca-chan! When Yuki calls you, I'll make him let me talk to you too. Oh, and I almost forgot – the first thing I'm going to do when you get back is give you a big hug!_

_Love,_

_Momiji_

She had to laugh, because she knew Momiji was completely serious about _all_ the stuff in that message.

Next was Ritsu's soft, timid voice.

_**RITSU SOHMA**_

_Re-chan… I honestly don't know what to say to you. You're one of my closest friends, and you've helped me so much… and now you're leaving. I'll tell you one thing, I almost don't believe it. But that's being childish, isn't it? I'm sorry… I really am…_

_Well… I guess I should start by saying what you've done for me, and how grateful I am to you. For starters, when we first met, and you braided my hair (haha), you told me that I needed to have more confidence in myself. Of course, I'd heard that from Tohru before. But… it felt very good… to hear it from someone else, too. And even when I spied on you… well… you still didn't extremely berate me, even though I know I would have deserved it. And… you've always, always believed in me… even when I didn't believe in myself that much._

_I'm sorry… I'm rambling a lot, aren't I? But anyway… I'll have to introduce you to my mother when you get back. I think you'll like her, and I know she'll like you. I'll miss you a lot, and I promise I'll try to call you… but if I start to get annoying, please tell me that I'm calling too much! Anyway… I guess that's all I really have to say. I can't wait for you to come back… but for now… good-bye._

_Love,_

_Ri-chan_

That made her smile, because she was so glad she'd been able to help Ritsu.

Next were the blended, childish voices of Kagura, Hiro, and Kisa.

_**KAGURA SOHMA, HIRO SOHMA, and KISA SOHMA**_

_We'll all miss you, Rebecca! (All of us)_

_Becks-chan, you're kind of like Kyo, so that makes you cool! I'm happy I can hug YOU, 'cause I can't hug Kyo! (Kagura)_

_Reebok _**(1)**,_ I may not like you spending a lot of time with Kisa… but I guess I'm grateful that you at least keep her safe when she's with you. (Hiro)_

_Itoko-chan _**(2)**_... I'm glad that I can at least hug you without transforming. Thanks for being you. (Kisa)_

_We'll be waiting for you to get back. (All of us)_

_Love,_

_Kagura, Hiro, and Kisa_

She laughed at what Kagura said, she pretty much expected what Hiro told her, and she felttears in her eyes reading Kisa's message.

Looking through the rest of the pages, she saw very funny images. Shigure had apparently taken some when Ayame was fitting her with that kimono. Then there were some images of her and Momiji running through the sprinkler in their bathing suits, often being chased by Kyo and Tohru. There was one of her when she had fallen asleep on the couch with Kagura and Kisa, and Hiro sat on the floor, arms crossed, looking sour as usual. The last picture was of her holding Yuki in rat form, grinning, and Yuki rolling his little red rat eyes.

Becky just stared at the last picture for a moment. She suddenly thought about something. Why hadn't Yuki included a special page to tell her how he felt? She started to get sad about that, flipping through the pages to make sure she hadn't missed it. Where was it?

Just as she was about ready to cry, she turned to the back of the book and saw a small pouch. Inside it was an electric blue CD. On the front of the pouch it read _Put this in your DVD player_.

She took it out, sighed, and got out her DVD player.

She swore, if it was Shigure giving a monologue from one of his novels about the wonder of _love_, she would take the plane back just to smack him.

**(1) – Reebok is the name Hiro gave to Becky cause he really didn't wanna call her anything else. XD**

**(2) – Means "cousin". You know how Kisa always calls Tohru "sissy"? Well, she calls Becky "cousin".**

**PEOPLE PLEASE REVIEW! XD *is dying* I mean there is only one person reviewing – and that does make me happy. Thank you Ruichan134! Lots of love to you. I will keep writing as long as at least ONE person is still reading. HOWEVER. I recently looked at my traffic for this story – I know that people are reading! Way more people than just one person! Anyone who reads, please just drop me a line to let me know how you liked it! I don't care how long it is, as long as you say something. Thanks wonderful readers! Here's a preview for you…**

_**Preview of Chapter 4…**_

_**-xxx-**_

"_A button should come up on the screen that says 'Play'. As soon as it comes up, click it. Ayame helped me make something special for you."_

"_I did, I helped so much!" Ayame called, shifting the camera to his face and smiling almost wider than humanly possible._

_Becky laughed. "Ayame, this is Yuki's video!"_

"_Ayame, put that camera back on me or I'm going to have myself a nice new snakeskin purse."_

"_Ooh, spunk! You're getting more like me every day, Yuki!"_

"_Get the camera back on __**me**__, you narcissistic __**reptile**__."_


	4. Chapter 4

_With this heart, I will be touched by your words and actions._

Becky opened her DVD player, turning it on, and placed the CD in the tray, then pushing it in. She put her headphones in so that only she could hear it, and waited. The annoying little "waiting for disc" thing came up, and she sighed. When would it start working?

All of a sudden, it seemed to work. The screen flashed white once, and then the words "The Cursed Couple" came on the screen.

That went away, and the screen went black for a few seconds. After about five counts of "One, Mississippi, two, Mississippi…", Yuki's figure came up onto the screen. He smiled, and held up a hand. "Hi, Rebecca."

Her eyes widened, and her heart felt tight in her chest. "Yuki?"

"I guess you're probably wondering why I didn't include a page in the scrapbook. Yeah, well… I decided it wasn't enough."

"He loves you so much, Becca!" Ayame sobbed from somewhere.

Yuki glared. "Ayame, I told you – just hold the camera and please keep your mouth shut!"

"Ohhh, but she needs to know!"

"But I've told her already!"

"OMG you did? You didn't tell me that you said the 'l' word to her!"

"… That's because I haven't actually said it yet. But she knows… she knows."

"I can't believe you haven't said it yet! You know you love her!"

Becky giggled as she just listened to the two brothers bickering. This is probably the longest conversation they've ever had… and it's just them arguing back and forth, hee-hee! She decided that if Yuki's intention had been to cheer her up and make her laugh, it had certainly worked. She was feeling at least a little better, because Yuki and Ayame were so funny when they got together.

"Alright, just shut up and hold the camera, please, Ayame?"

"Okay, okay, I'm zipping it."

"Thank you." Yuki took a breath and looked back at the camera instead of behind it at his brother. He smiled, and Becky felt her heart skip a beat. It looked like he was smiling right at her. "Sorry about that. You know how Ayame is."

"Boy do I," she chuckled, shaking her head.

"Anyway… I didn't make a page for the scrapbook because… it wasn't enough to express how I feel about you. It was enough for the others… but you and I… we've been so close since you got here, and… and because of that, I couldn't fit everything I need to on that one page. First of all, I'd like to start off by saying that… you have been an amazing friend to me. You're smart, and you make me laugh, which few people are able to do. Honda-san is one of those people. So is Ayame – when he's not annoying me, he's actually quite funny. But I digress. On the first day we met, during lunch, I saw you cry, and it hurt me, even though I knew… you were only crying because you were happy that we were your friends. And when I found out about your curse… well… I have to say, I was a little hopeful. I thought that since you had a curse… maybe you wouldn't tell anyone about ours. And I knew I promised to always protect you, and that was even when we weren't dating. And I promised not to let your father take you away." He looked down, and she felt her heart break even further when she saw him wiping his eyes. He was crying. "And I couldn't keep that promise. I let you down." He cleared his throat, then looked back up. "I mean, look at me. I'm recording this while you're asleep. You're not even gone yet and I already miss you." He smiled. "Forgive me for breaking my promise, and I'm going to miss you so much. Everyone is. You're my girlfriend, and… you're one of the most important things in my life." He waved. "And I'm sure you're watching this, wishing I was with you, and I wish that too. But I can't be. So I'll be right here, waiting for you to come back. And in about a minute, as soon as I stop talking, a button should come up on the screen that says 'Play'. Do me a favor and as soon as it comes up, press the 'enter' button on your player. Ayame helped me make something special for you."

"I did, I helped so much!" Ayame called, shifting the camera to his face and smiling almost wider than humanly possible.

Becky laughed. "Ayame, this is Yuki's video!"

"Ayame, put that camera back on me or I'm going to have myself a nice new snakeskin purse."

"Ooh, spunk! You're getting more like me every day, Yuki!"

"Get the camera back on _me_, you narcissistic _reptile_."

"Okay, sorry!" Ayame shot one last grin at her, then the camera was back on Yuki.

Yuki shook his head, but he was smiling. "Ayame… he's so silly. Alright, Rebecca… get comfortable, press play, and enjoy." He touched his first two fingers to his lips, and held that hand out to her. "I'll see you soon."

A green button with the word "Play" written across it in red popped up. Becky pressed the "enter" button and sat back a little bit.

A romantically rock-metal kind of intro began to play. "Becky and Yuki's Love" came up on the screen, and Becky was delighted to recognize the song now as "Gotta Be Somebody" by Nickelback.

Pictures of herself and Yuki, mostly together, scrolled across the screen. There were nice transitions, and she loved the pan/zoom effects. She decided she really liked Ayame now, for helping Yuki make this. She idly wondered who had taken all these pictures, but at the moment she didn't care.

"_So I'll be holding my breath_

_Right up till the end_

_Until that moment when I find the one_

_That I'll spend forever with_

"'_Cause nobody wants to be the last one there_

_And everyone wants to feel like someone cares_

_Someone to love with my life in their hands_

_There's gotta be somebody for me like that_

"'_Cause nobody wants to go it on their own_

_And everyone wants to know they're not alone_

_There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere_

_There's gotta be somebody for me out there_…"

She was surprised at the last picture, wondering who had taken it. They had to have extremely fast reflexes, because it was a snapshot of her and Yuki kissing, with their arms around each other. The person had to have taken it before she pulled away in pain and Yuki turned into a rat. They looked happy, though, at the moment the picture was taken. Yuki looked peaceful, hugging someone, and she didn't look like she was in pain.

"_There's gotta be somebody for me out there_…"

The picture faded out to "The End". After that, more words came up on the screen: _I'll miss you. Love, Yuki_

"Awwwwwww!" Becky held a hand to her chest where her heart was. She hadn't ever loved Yuki more than she did right now. He had gone to all this trouble for her, to make her feel better. She whipped out her phone and dialed his number.

After a few rings he picked up. "Hello, Rebecca. I was just now wondering how you liked the—"

"Yuki Sohma, I have never wanted you more!"

He chuckled on the other end. "I guess you liked it."

"I'm going to watch it every day while I'm gone! And when I get back you're getting _the_ biggest hug I've ever given anybody and _the_ wettest kiss, hee-hee!"

She could practically hear him rolling his eyes. "I look forward to being covered in your saliva as I turn into a rat."

_**Preview of Chapter 5…**_

_**-xxx-**_

"_He probably wants to go to bed again."_

"_He just sleeps all day?"_

"_Well, he works from eleven at night to six in the morning. That's, like, seven hours on his feet. He barely gets breaks, and he's always tired. So, yeah – usually all he does is sleep. He gets up around five for dinner, then we usually watch TV till it's time for him to leave."_

"_You mean you stay up till eleven at night? Even on school nights?"_

"_Usually. I don't have to get up till seven, which is usually when Dad goes to sleep. Eight hours is enough for me. You'll have to get up at six-thirty, though."_

"_Wow…" Becky shook her head. "Ma __**never**__ lets me stay up past ten-thirty."_


	5. Chapter 5

** OK... DON'T. KILL. ME. I know it's been a long time and I've made you peoples wait and I'm soooooo extremely sorry! I got on a Fullmetal Alchemist kick, and my friends want to roleplay it with me... and nobody I know wants to do anything Furuba-related because they don't know the show... although I did force episode 23 (with RITSU RANDOMNESS!) on one of my friends on the bus ride to school... hehe...**

** *dodges flying fruits baskets* I'M SORRYYYYYYYYYYYYY!**

** ... Enjoy the chapter. :D**

_With this heart, I will greet my family._

Becky almost couldn't believe it, but she fell asleep on the plane. She kept listening to that song over and over, watching the video a million times it must have been. Her eyes slowly fell shut, as she watched, and before she knew what had happened she was asleep. She was woken up by a flight attendant when the plane landed in Nebraska.

She considered calling Yuki again as she got off, but then decided that would be too much. It was three in the afternoon here – he was probably just getting up. She wasn't sure, but maybe. She hadn't reviewed the table of time differences from Kaibara to Omaha.

She got her carry-on after putting her DVD player in it, slinging it over her shoulder. Tired and a little off balance and quite possibly jet-lagged, she stumbled off the plane in her one-and-a-half-inch heels, holding her head. It felt like she'd been asleep forever, yet for no time at all – like she'd just woken up from surgery or something.

She looked around to find her father and brother. It wasn't exactly hard to do. Both of them were holding signs made out of posterboard for her. Jason's read "BECKS" and Bret's read "SIS". She had to admit, that was a _little_ sweet of them to do. She could recognize them and they still made signs so she would feel welcome.

She swallowed and took a breath, then walked over, forcing a smile. She almost gagged again… they still smelled like smoke. "Hi, Daddy… Bret."

"Baby girl." Jason pulled her into a one-armed hug, squeezing her tightly. "I thought you'd never get here!"

"Happy Sunday," Bret joked, grinning at her.

"Thanks." She rolled her eyes. "Well… I guess it's nice here. Are we walking to your house, or…?"

"Truck's right outside," Jason answered, waving to both of them to follow. "It isn't that far."

"You're gonna love it here," Bret said, taking her hand. "It doesn't start snowing for, like, a week! It's still basically fall."

"Yeah," Jason agreed, "but when the snow starts – hoo, boy, it's like every day we're being covered."

"Heck of a lotta snow days," Bret snickered, making a thumbs-up sign. "And hey – I'm not gonna be at your school! You'll be at the high school… I'm finishing my eighth-grade year."

"School, yay." She sighed, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "And I start immediately tomorrow. Great."

"Alright, pile in." Jason gestured to a battered gray pick-up truck. "Let your sister in the front."

"Fine by me." Bret climbed into the back, sitting directly in front of the truck bed.

Becky grabbed onto the side and pulled herself up into the front seat, beside Jason. She adjusted herself, groaning when she felt that the seat wasn't that comfortable at all. Shaking her head, she buckled herself in. She leaned back and crossed her arms, wanting to close her eyes. She forced herself not to, though, because she had to show a _little_ respect. The car began to move, and she stared out at the still-autumn landscape of Nebraska. It wasn't _that_ bad… but there wasn't really much to look at. Basically, it was just trees, differently-colored leaves, and grass. And the road, of course, but she really didn't feel like paying much attention to that.

"So you really miss 'em, huh?"

She looked back at Bret, to see him leaning forward in his seat, barely held back by the seatbelt, hands on the back of her seat. "Huh?"

"All those guys. And your boyfriend. Were they really that special that you miss 'em so much?"

"… My boyfriend is really special. So is his entire family. They've all been really nice to me. And FYI, it's not just them I miss. It's Ma, too."

"Oh, Mom. Yeah. She seems really nice. I don't remember her much."

"Yeah, well… she's great."

"… Awesome."

Becky bit her lip. "You like it here, Bret?"

"Yeah."

She sighed. "I'll do my best to like it… but I sure ain't makin' no promises." **(1)**

-xxx-

The truck rolled to a stop. Becky jerked forward, the seatbelt just hardly stopping her. "Ouch!" She unbuckled and got out, waiting for her father and brother.

They got out, and Jason walked inside. Bret chuckled and took Becky's hand, leading her in. "Sorry about that, sis. He's just a little tired. He didn't get home till six this morning, and that means he didn't get to bed till seven. It's only been eight hours. He probably wants to go to bed again."

"He just sleeps all day?"

"Well, he works from eleven at night to six in the morning. That's, like, seven hours on his feet. He barely gets breaks, and he's always tired. So, yeah – usually all he does is sleep. He gets up around five for dinner, then we usually watch TV till it's time for him to leave."

"You mean you stay up till eleven every night? Even on school nights?"

"Usually. I don't have to get up till seven, which is usually when Dad goes to sleep. Eight hours is enough for me. You'll have to get up at six-thirty, though."

"Wow…" Becky shook her head. "Ma _never_ lets me stay up past ten-thirty."

Bret shrugged. "Ah, well… you wanna see your room? It's right across from mine."

"Okay." She followed him down a hall, and saw her father collapsing on the living room couch as they went. She was lucky she didn't have asthma, because if she did she would probably rolling on the floor unable to breathe by now. This place reeked of smoke. She could swear she smelled alcohol, too.

Bret opened a door. "Here it is! Sorry you have to sleep on an air mattress. We can't get a bed in there. Oh, and sorry about all the boxes in here, too. It's the guest room, technically, but we hardly ever have guests. I mean, Shannon lives right next door. So we basically just use it as the storage room. But while you're here, it'll be your room."

Becky peeked in at the tiny room, but then reeled back. "Hey, whoa, backpedal here. Who the hell is Shannon?"

"Oh, Shannon? She's been Dad's girlfriend for about three months. She's really nice. Sometimes he spends the night at her house – so don't get freaked out if you wake up at night and he's not here. He's probably over there."

"Oh… okay, then."

"You must be thirsty, or hungry or something…" He pointed to his own door, giving her a good-natured smile. "I have some Peppermint Schnapps in there if you want any."

She shook her head. "Uh… no. I don't drink before I'm twenty-one."

"Huh." He chuckled. "Hard to believe we're related."

"Uh, Bret? Just out of curiosity… how often do you… you know…" She tilted her head back and made a motion with her hand like she was drinking.

"Oh. Once a week… twice, tops."

"How much at a time?"

"Usually just about an eighth of a bottle. I think I'm close to being ready to drink a fourth at once, though."

"Okay… um, well, I think I'm gonna take a look around. I saw some buildings, and a library… and I wanted to get a book."

"Alright, well… check back with me when you get in. See ya."

"Bye." She found it odd that he didn't even care that she was leaving the house as soon as she got there.

She decided it was probably because of the fact that Jason did it all the time.

**(1) - WOW THAT WAS LIKE 3 NEGATIVES IN ONE SENTENCE! :I'mstupidplz:**

_**Preview of Chapter 6…**_

_**-xxx-**_

"… _Hi."_

"_Nice to meet you." He moved a little closer to her, and she backed up against the wall. "Do you wanna go see a movie sometime?"_

"_Uh, no. Not really. I'm spoken for."_

"_Really?" He shrugged. "Ah, shoulda guessed. Cute girl like you, probably a million guys breakin' down your door. So what's your name?"_

"_Becky Bridges, and I __**have**__ a man. Okay? I'm pretty sure this is my __**second**__ mention so far… so…" She waved her hand, trying to get by him to check out her Hikaru no Go. "Leave me be. Let me by! Come on, I'm never gonna go for it. So, uh… there. Begone."_

"_Oh, come on." He got closer, forcing her completely up against the wall and giving her a flirtatious smile. "Once you go out with me – at least __**one**__ movie – you'll forget about that silly old boyfriend of yours."_


	6. Chapter 6

_With this heart, I will resist temptation._

Becky had to say, the town wasn't really _that_ bad of a place. The library was a pretty decent size, and she'd seen the school. It seemed okay - not that big, but she didn't really care about that. But if she was going to live here for the next month, the least she could do was make an attempt to like at least a few parts of it. So she did kind of like the library.

She walked right in and shivering slightly. It wasn't very cold outside yet, but the library was obviously air-conditioned. She didn't really mind all that much. After all, she'd rather be cold than hot. When it was cold, you could put on a sweater or grab a blanket or something. But when it was hot, it wasn't like there was much you could do about it.

She walked up to the desk, and opened her mouth, when she realized she wasn't sure which book she wanted. She searched her mind for the names of the books. She did know the first one, _San Nozomi_. If it was in English, then it would be _Three Wishes_. She racked her brain, trying to remember the name of the book that Yuki had said his class read before she'd gotten to Kaibara. She bit her lip, thinking. Wasn't it something like... _Garasu Bara_? _Glass Rose_? Yeah, that was right - about the glass statue girl who became real when the guy kissed her but then turned back into a statue every night.

"Can I help you?" the librarian asked.

"Um, yeah. Do you have any books called _Three Wishes_ and _Glass Rose_?"

"Let me look." The woman typed on her keyboard for a second. "I'm sorry, we don't seem to have them. But I could request them from another library. It may take a few days for them to get here, but at least you'll have them."

"Thanks, would you mind doing that?"

"Sure. Name?"

"Becky Bridges."

"Oh, are you Jason's daughter? You just got here, didn't you?"

"Yeah. News travels fast here, I guess."

"Well, it's a pretty small place. You'll need a library card, then, won't you?"

"Yeah, can we do that right now?"

"Sure. Just fill out this form, I can get it to you right away."

Becky completed the application and signed her name on the back of the card, and the woman handed the card to her. "Thanks."

"I'll request those books for you and let you know when they're in. Feel free to check out the rest of the library."

"Alright, thank you." Becky shoved her library card into her pocket and stretched just a little bit, cracking her neck. She felt kind of tired; jet lag, she would suppose. She'd just spent a long time on a plane, she'd fallen asleep, she was already missing her boyfriend, friends, and mother. Yep, she was a _real_ mess.

She began to wander around over by the manga. She was happy at the selection they had, because a lot of libraries in America didn't have manga, something she'd gotten hooked on in Kaibara, mostly thanks to Hatsuharu and Rin. Her favorites were Ouran High School Host Club and Hikaru no Go (an interest she shared with Yuki because of his skill in playing Go). Her favorite character in OHSHC was Honey (what a cutie with a sweet tooth! And Mori was pretty awesome too) and her favorite in Hikaru no Go... well, it was a tie between Akira and Sai (Akira because he was an awesome Go player, and Sai because he was just so... _Sai_).

"Hey, cutie. Haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?"

Becky spun around to face... a guy. He had dark hair, dark eyes... hell, everything about this guy was dark. He wore a sleeveless leather jacket over a white top, as well as jeans and a pair of boots. She wondered why he wasn't wearing more - it was fricking _December_, for God's sake. Granted, it felt like fall, but it was still pretty cold. He probably just wanted to show off those damn arms of his... those God-forsaken, toned arms. Damn. She took a breath, reminding herself that she was T-A-K-E-N, _taken_. She was off the market, she had Yuki. And she didn't want anything more. "... Hi."

"Nice to meet you." He moved a little closer to her, and she backed up against the wall. "Do you wanna go see a movie sometime?"

"Uh, no. Not really. I'm spoken for."

"Really?" He shrugged. "Ah, shoulda guessed. Cute girl like you, probably a million guys breakin' down your door. So what's your name?"

"Becky Bridges, and I _have_ a man. Okay? I'm pretty sure that is my _second_ mention so far... so..." She waved her hand, trying to get by him to check out her Hikaru no Go. "Leave me be. Let me by! Come on, I'm never gonna go for it. So, uh... there. Begone."

"Oh, come on." He got closer, forcing her completely up against the wall and giving her a flirtatious smile. "Once you go out with me - at least _one_ movie -

you'll forget about that silly old boyfriend of yours."

"Okay. It was you who made the third mention, so don't blame _that_ one on me, Leather Wonder."

"Come on, Becks. _One_ date. It'll make you see just how much better _I_ am." He leaned in, lips slightly open, and placed his hand on her waist.

_Daaaaaamn_, did it take some willpower. But she did it. "Hey! Get off me! Stay away from me!" She pushed the boy, who she had just at this moment decided to nickname "Muscle Head", back from her. "As I keep telling you, I have a boyfriend! And if you don't stop getting all handsy, he's gonna come all the way out here just to kick your ass!" She grabbed the latest Hikaru no Go off the shelf and stalked past him, toward the check-out counter.

"'Maybe it won't be so bad'," she muttered darkly. "Yeah, right! I get hit on the first day I come here! Yuki's gonna hear about _this_!"

She stopped and blinked. "Ah... well... not that he'll be able to do _much_ about it... damn..."

_**Preview of Chapter 7...**_

_**-xxx-**_

_However, since it **was** December, she counted herself lucky. In two weeks, she would get something magical called Winter Vacation - the tail end of the month with no school. All she had to do was muddle through the next fourteen days, and then she'd have two weeks off, and then she'd return to Kaibara High._

_... With Yuki's insane fan club. This high school was actually looking better and better thanks to those psycho-ass fangirls._


	7. Chapter 7

_With this heart, I will brave my new home._

Becky's first night in Nebraska was rough. She had a hard time sleeping on the air mattress, and couldn't seem to get to sleep. She kept tossing and turning, throwing the sheet off and then grabbing it again.

Unable to sleep, she got up. Shuffling over to the wall and nearly tripping over several boxes, she managed to brush the wall and flip the switch for the light. It was rather dim in this room, and she had a feeling the light bulb was going to blow out in a matter of days. Bret wasn't kidding when he said this room was barely used, and only for storage.

She leaned against the wall for a second, taking a breath. She was so tired, but it was hard to sleep. Usually Yuki would say goodnight to her before going over to Shigure's house for the night. Then Ritsu would say goodnight and go over there, too. Then her mother would say goodnight and go to Hatori's room to sleep. Then she would go into Tohru's room, and Tohru would say goodnight and turn the light off... and then they would all go to sleep, knowing they were safe and everyone they loved was around them.

But this was too different. Nobody had really said a heartfelt goodnight to her. Jason and Bret had both said a nonchalant "Night" to her as she went back to her room.

Okay... if Yuki was just getting up when it was three in the afternoon here, they were about eight hours apart. She glanced at the clock. It was eleven-thirty at night. So in Kaibara it would be... three-thirty. Yuki had been out of school for about half an hour. She sighed, got out her phone, flipped it open, and clicked speed dial number 2, which was Yuki.

"Rebecca?" Yuki's mellow voice filled her ears. "Wow, I'm surprised to hear from you, beautiful. Isn't it, like, almost midnight over there?"

"Yeah... but I can't get to sleep. I thought hearing your voice might help."

"Awww. I'm sorry you can't sleep. But I do have an idea. You know when I asked to borrow your MP3 player last Wednesday?"

"Yeah... wait, what did you do to it?"

"Haha... nothing, really. I just... put some songs on it. You know, some that I thought you might like. For situations just like this. They start at track 78 - darn you for having so many, but that's your own fault. Why don't you go listen to them? I think they may help you sleep."

"Okay. Thanks, Yuki."

"No problem."

"You have any homework?"

"We're reading a new book now. It seems okay so far, I have to start on chapter 3. It's moving a little slow, and this time we have to make three character charts, which may prove to be a bit challenging considering all the information we have to put on them."

"Well, good luck. Hope you enjoy the rest of it."

"Thanks. Oh, Rebecca?"

"Yeah?"

"Goodnight."

"Thanks, babe. Talk to you later. Bye."

"Bye."

Becky hung up and took her MP3 player out of her bag. She sat down on the air mattress and put the headphones in her ears. She scrolled to track 78, and listened. "Hi, Rebecca, it's me." Yuki's voice came to her ears.

Becky looked down at the player. "How many more surprises do you have for me, boy?"

"And I bet you're wondering why I put myself on your MP3 player," came his voice. "But it's not just me. It's all of us. See, we all recorded a special song for you - we knew you'd probably miss our voices. This way you can listen to us every day if you want to, even if you don't call us. If you turn to track 79, then you will hear myself singing first. Enjoy."

Becky paused it and called Yuki again. "Hey... Yuki?"

"Haha... I take it you heard my little intro?"

"Yuki, have I ever told you how much you make me smile and cry at the same time?"

"... So I take it you liked it?"

"I'll be listening to your song as soon as I get off the phone."

"Alright, then. Don't let me keep you. Goodnight."

"Thanks. Bye."

"Bye."

Becky put her headphones back in and lie down, flipping to track 79. She closed her eyes and listened. There was no background music, but it was Yuki's voice. She almost couldn't believe it. He was singing "In My Arms" to her.

Slowly, she began to fall asleep to his voice singing their song.

"_... Knowing clouds will rage and_

_Storms will race in_

_But you will be safe_

_In my arms_

"_Rains will pour down_

_Waves will crash around_

_But you will be safe_

_In my arms_

"_In my arms..._"

-xxx-

Great Maple High School was not a place Becky ever wanted to go again. The outside was okay, but it sucked on the inside. That school was not a place that she wanted to attend for eight hours every day for the next month. However, since it _was_ December, she counted herself lucky. In two weeks, she would get something magical called Winter Vacation - the tail end of the month with no school. All she had to do was muddle through the next fourteen days, and then she'd have two weeks off, and then she'd return to Kaibara High.

... With Yuki's insane fan club. This high school was actually looking better and better thanks to those psycho-ass fangirls.

She didn't expect a call from Yuki in the morning, because they were, like, eight hours apart. And she didn't get one. It was seven here - it would be about eleven there. He was probably still sleeping. So she took her cell phone, turned it off, put it in her purse, and headed off to school.

It wasn't bad enough that nobody she knew went here. It wasn't bad enough that Yuki wasn't here and she hadn't talked to him today and gotten some words of inspiration about how she could do this. It wasn't bad enough that her locker was the hardest thing on the planet to open. It wasn't bad enough that she didn't have any time to look at her schedule before she went to her locker to get ready. It wasn't bad enough that she was probably going to be late for her first class. She could likely give the excuse, however, that it _was_ her first day here.

But then _he_ had to show up. _He_ had to be here. That dork flirt from the library was here, leaning up against the lockers in his leather jacket - almost like he was waiting for girls to pass by so he could nod and wink at them. And he probably was, actually. She closed her eyes and began to walk right past him.

"Hey!"

She tried not to look back, but she did. The guy was coming toward her, and she didn't want anything to do with him. She glared, hoping that he got the hint. "I have to get to class. What do you want?"

He shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. "I just think... you know... maybe we got off on the wrong foot."

"Yes, the flirting foot. Now leave me alone." She began to walk again, hoping he didn't follow her.

Unfortunately, she wasn't that lucky. He raced in front of her. "Hey, wait! I mean... your name was Becky, right?"

"Yeah. But as I said, I have a boyfriend, and I need to get to class."

"Well, fine. But I just wanted you to know - _my_ name is Jayden."

"Great. Jayden. Now good-bye." She turned and stalked off.

... Maybe she really shouldn't have been so mean.

-xxx-

Becky trudged out of the school, backpack over her shoulder, and began to follow the route to her father's house. She didn't feel like reading, but her English class had been assigned _Catcher in the Rye_. She had already read it, so maybe if she could just flip through some of the pages, read a little, she would be able to do the project without rereading the entire thing.

As she walked, she heard Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" - her ringtone. Her phone was ringing. She took it out and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Hi, Rebecca. How are you doing?"

She smiled. "Hi, Yuki. Aw, you sound so tired. You should be sleeping, shouldn't you?"

"I just got up to get ready for school. However, since it's about three in the afternoon over there... I figured I'd give you a call and see how your first day of school in Nebraska was. How did it go?"

"Terribly. We have to do this stupid project on _Catcher in the Rye_, which I've already read, and this weirdo asked me to join the Mathletes. Which I refused, by the way. I hate math. And history's not nearly as fun without Koharumoto-san to tick off. And gym really sucks. I miss you guys so much!"

"I know. I miss you too. The fan club won't leave me alone without you."

"Sorry. If I could pop 'em one right now, I so would." She giggled, and then decided not to tell Yuki about Jayden. That would only serve to get him jealous. "Well... thanks for calling me. Have a good day."

"Have a good _rest_ of the day. I'll call you as soon as I can... sorry if that's, like, midnight over there."

"That's okay. I may hear it, I may not. Don't feel sad if I don't answer - I might be asleep."

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye." She put her phone back in her pocket, sighing.

Maybe Yuki would call her during lunch so she wasn't up at midnight.

_**Preview of Chapter 8...**_

_**-xxx-**_

"_Damn it... even if I run, I'm not gonna be able to make it! I'm gonna be late on my second day!"_

"_Hey, Becks!"_

_She looked over and saw Jayden, in his uniform leather, sitting on a motorcycle. He wore gloves and a helmet, as well as his boots. He grinned at her, winking. "Looks like you need my help. C'mon, Becks. It's not like I'm gonna make a move on you while you're on the back of my ride. That would be, like, totally dangerous, duh."_

_She glared at him. "Why do you keep popping up in my life? Leave me alone!"_

"_If you don't get on my bike in about... oh... ten seconds, you're gonna be late. It's only your second day. I don't think you'd wanna be late."_

"_Damn it..."_


	8. Chapter 8

_With this heart, I will be grateful._

Becky woke up on Tuesday morning not wanting to go to school. She didn't ever want to go to that school ever again. She didn't like the classes, she hated the fact that the guy who'd hit on her - what was his name? Jayden? - went there, and the paint job was way too boring. She didn't want to keep going here for another entire month. She really just wanted to go back to Kaibara. It was so boring here. Her dad didn't even make an attempt to talk to her. Bret just stayed holed up in his room. And she had a suspicious feeling that neither of them would care if she told them she'd been flirted with even after she told the guy - at _least_ five times - that she was taken.

So _no_, she didn't want to go back to that stupid school. But she had to; it was the law, after all. She was up and moving at six-thirty, and she took a shower, managing not to wake anyone in the house. It was cold outside, so she put on a white sweater and black jeans, as well as the sneakers she'd packed.

The last thing she expected at six-forty in the morning was a call. But her cell phone rang, right while she was in the middle of doing her hair. She was putting it up in two ponytails when "Teenage Dream" began to play. She sighed and picked up her phone, flipping it open. "Hello?"

Yuki's sweet voice met her ears. "Good morning, Rebecca. How is my favorite girl doing today?"

"Yuki!" She glanced at her clock. "Isn't it, like, midnight yesterday over there? You should be asleep."

"Yes, but it's Tuesday over there. So I had to call and tell you something before you left for school."

"Really?" She smiled, brushing her bangs back. Yuki was the most amazing guy she'd ever met. "What did you wanna tell me?"

"Well... you're going to think it's really sappy... but, uh... happy week-iversary."

"Week-iversary?" She giggled. She could have full-out laughed, but if Yuki was serious about this, she didn't want to hurt his feelings. "And what, if I may ask, is a week-iversary?"

"Well, uh... according to the time in Nebraska, you and I have been together for a week."

"Awwwwww!" Becky grinned, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks. Yuki was the best boyfriend ever. "I can't believe you remembered! I wasn't even thinking about that! You are the best! I'll have to bring you something back."

"Ohh, you don't really _have_ to. I just can't wait to see your face when you come back and I show you the gift I got _you_. I really put a lot of thought into it - I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will. I love anything you give me! I loved that video, and those songs were awesome, baby."

"I'm glad you liked them. I hope you like the presents I give you when you get back. One for our week-iversary and one for Christmas."

"You know I will. But I'll have to find something to give you! Arrgh. Okay, well... happy week-iversary to you, too."

"Thanks. Well, I should probably let you go now. Have a good day at school, beautiful."

"Goodnight, Yuki."

"Thanks. Bye."

"Bye-bye."

Becky hung up and glanced at the clock. Oh, man. It was six-forty-five! It would take her five more minutes to do her hair, probably... not counting that she had to brush her teeth and go to the bathroom, then gather up all her homework and get her copy of _Catcher in the Rye_ from under the bed... which was where she'd put it because she honestly didn't like the book.

Damn. Was she going to have to _run_.

Once she got everything done, she glanced at the clock. Six-fifty-three. She poked her head in Bret's room. "Bye, Bret!" She ran out via the living room door. "Bye, Dad!"

She ran for a few minutes, then sighed, breathing heavily. She glanced at her cell phone and saw that it was now six-fifty-five. The school was ten minutes away, and she only had five minutes to get there. "Damn it... even if I run, I'm not gonna be able to make it! I'm gonna be late on my second day!"

"Hey, Becks!"

She looked over and saw Jayden, in his uniform leather, sitting on a motorcycle. He wore gloves and a helmet, as well as his boots. He grinned at her, winking. "Looks like you need my help. C'mon, Becks. It's not like I'm gonna make a move on you while you're on the back of my ride. That would be, like, totally dangerous, duh."

She glared at him. "Why do you keep popping up in my life? Leave me alone!"

"If you don't get on my bike in about... oh... ten seconds, you're gonna be late. It's only your second day. I don't think you'd wanna be late."

"Damn it... fine!" She slung her backpack over both shoulders and climbed onto the motorcycle. "But don't you dare think that this means I like you or that I owe you _anything_!"

"Whatever. Just wanted to be nice. Here." He took his helmet off and put it over her head. "Hold on, Becks. I'm gonna have to go pretty fast to make it."

"Stop talkin' and start your wheels to walkin', boy! Just drive!"

Jayden took off, and Becky threw her arms around his waist, burying her face into his back. She had only been on a motorcycle one other time in her life, and she'd hated it. If she didn't hate it, there was no way she would be holding onto Jayden so tightly right now.

"Uh, Becks? We're here. You can let go of me and get off my bike now, if you want. Hey, not that I'm complaining... but your boyfriend?"

"Damn it!" Becky let go and jumped off the motorcycle, nearly doing a faceplant into the concrete in front of the school. She got up and huffed. "I'm leaving now!"

"See you inside."

She held up a hand, racing inside. "And I will _not_ be needing a ride home!"

_**Preview of Chapter 9...**_

_**-xxx-**_

"_I was, uh, wondering... maybe we could hang out at your place for a while? I mean, I need to get some science homework done, and since Mr. Warren's always complimenting you on your test scores... I thought maybe you could help me."_

_Jayden cocked his head to the side, and smiled playfully, draping one arm over the handlebars of his bike. "Oh-ho, well, Becks... my schedule's a little full. I mean, I have chasing skirts... band practice..." He smirked. "Besides, wouldn't your **boyfriend** - fourth mention - boil with rage if he finds out you've been with another guy?"_

"_Ah." Becky flicked him in the side of the head. "First off, we're **just** friends, Jayden. And besides... he's not the jealous type."_


	9. Chapter 9

_With this heart, I will enjoy myself but be faithful._

Becky had to admit, the second day of classes wasn't really_ as_ bad as the first had been. She still hated gym and didn't want to read _Catcher in the Rye_ and still refused to join the Mathletes. None of _that_ had changed, of course. But history had started to get interesting - well, the word was "easy", actually. They were just beginning the Cold War, which Becky's class in Kaibara had almost finished before she left. She found herself daydreaming in that class sometimes, doodling in her notebook. More often than not, she drew Yuki. Albeit not a very flattering version of him (basically just a stick with weirdly drawn hair dressed in a poorly rendered Kaibara boy's uniform), but it _was_ him. Once she'd drawn her version of Bret. A couple of times her mother, and Ritsu. She'd drawn Momiji one time, and then Ayame in snake form hugging Yuki's rat form another time.

That was how she could tell she really, _really_ missed home. It was only Tuesday, technically her third day here - second day of classes at Great Maple High. She still wasn't enjoying this, but it was better than sitting at her dad's house all day, playing video games with Bret or watching Jason smoke or drink or do crack or something.

And she did have to say, though... Jayden wasn't _all_ bad. He _did_ offer her a ride to school. Maybe, if he quit being all Flirty Floyd, maybe they could be friends while she was here. That was a big maybe, though.

It was such a hassle to muddle through her classes. Fatigue almost controlled her, nearly causing her to fall asleep in study hall. Thankfully, however, Jayden (who sat right behind her in that class) managed to wake her before the monitor noticed she'd been sleeping. He woke her, and didn't say anything else to her.

She felt a little bad for being so mean to him. He wasn't _that_ bad, after all, once he stopped trying to hit on with anything that wore a skirt. He was a pretty okay guy; he cared enough to wake her so that she didn't get in trouble.

Maybe he wasn't really a bad guy.

-xxx-

Becky spent a week in Omaha, texting and calling Yuki. Playing Kingdom Hearts with Bret, watching television with her dad and brother. She was bored out of her skull, with nothing else to do. She missed Yuki a lot, and she couldn't see him. She listened to that track constantly, and it always put her to sleep.

So, out of boredom and desperation for something - _anything_ - to do, she caught up with Jayden after school on Friday. He was just getting on his motorcycle to leave. "Hey! Jayden!" she called, running toward him. "Don't go yet!"

He turned around to look at her, and he stopped revving his bike. "Hey, Becks. What's up?"

"I was, uh, wondering... maybe we could hang out at your place for a while? I mean, I need to get some science homework done, and since Mr. Warren's always complimenting you on your test scores... I thought maybe you could help me."

Jayden cocked his head to the side, and smiled playfully, draping one arm over the handlebars of his bike. "Oh-ho, well, Becks... my schedule's a little full. I mean, I have chasing skirts... band practice..." He smirked. "Besides, wouldn't your _boyfriend_ - fourth mention - boil with rage if he finds out you've been with another guy?"

"Ah." Becky flicked him in the side of the head. "First off, we're _just_ friends, Jayden. And besides... he's not the jealous type."

"Ahhh, well, in _that_ case, then..." Jayden took his helmet off, and put it on her head. "Strap that on, hop on my Hog, and hold me tight!"

-xxx-

"So you seriously skipped _three_ days of school, missed, like, ten homework assignments, and you _still_ got away with it?" Becky giggled. She was laying on her stomach on the workbench in Jayden's garage, hand dangling into a half-empty bag of salt and vinegar chips, crunching one every once in a while. She was reading from her biology textbook and watching Jayden work on his motorcycle. She tossed another chip into her mouth, not fully swallowing before she continued to speak. "I don't believe you."

"Yeah, well... my dad's in the military. I forged my mom's handwriting, saying he'd been home for three days and wanted to spend the time with his family before he had to go back to Iraq." Jayden picked up a wrench and started twisting something. "Principal's a veteran, so he totally ate it up."

"Wow. You know, you _could_ stand not to break the rules so much. I've never cut class, never forged... hell, I've never even blown off a project!"

"Becks? You are such a goody-goody. You have never _lived_." He lifted his head up and wiped the sweat from his face. "So, boyfriend, huh?" He put the wrench down. "You know, I like to pick songs to fit my mood. If you had to pick one to describe you and your boyfriend right now, at this moment in time, which would you choose?"

Becky thought for a moment, kicking her legs. She sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bench. She tapped out a beat and bobbed her head, then began to sing.

"_You're still there for me_

_Wherever there might be_

_And if an ocean lies between us_

_I'll send a message across the sea_

"_You can sleep tonight_

_Knowing it's alright_

_I know that you are_

_Listening to my song_

"_You're still there for me_

_You've been there all along_..."

Jayden nodded, brushing his bangs back. "Yeah, I can see that. Nice song choice, Becks. And you know, you have a pretty good voice too. Not really, like, _American Idol_ finalist, but... better than some people."

"Thanks..." She looked away, glancing out the open garage door. "You know, you're not half bad, Jayden. I guess I was wrong about you. At least I didn't have to slap _you_ like I had to slap _Yuki_."

"You slapped your boyfriend? How come?"

"Well, it was before we were even dating... we were just friends, but I did have a crush on him... and then I found out, courtesy of his cousin, that he had lied to me. He had a good reason... and I forgave him. Our relationship evolved, I guess... and this is where we are now. A couple."

"Huh. You know, if he really cared about you... he wouldn't lie."

"He was only protecting me. We moved past it. He'd never lie to me again, and I know that."

"You're really forgiving, you know that. Any other girl would probably hold a grudge."

"Call me awesome."

"You are." All of a sudden, Jayden's arms enveloped her in a tight hug. "You're not that bad."

Becky began to squirm and struggle. It was a reflex she'd developed spending so much time with Yuki's family. She had come to recognize hugging as risky and dangerous for the Sohmas, and therefore her first instinct was to try and get away so she didn't make them turn into an animal.

But then she realized something. Jayden _wasn't_ a Sohma. She didn't have to worry about it... she relaxed, and hugged him back.

It felt so good not to worry about being careful when she hugged someone. For the last month that she had known Yuki and his family, she'd had to watch herself, especially in public. But she didn't have to worry about that when she was with Jayden. As his arms encircled her tightly, she could hug him back and not worry about him transforming into a snake or a monkey... or a rat. It made her smile a bit, something as simple as human contact. He let go, and smiled at her. "You know, you're a special girl, Becks. I gotta say, whoever he is, your boyfriend is a lucky guy."

She grinned, and watched him leave to go into the house and clean up. All of a sudden, she remembered the times she had hugged Yuki. They felt good, too, and she got to see him turn into an adorable little rat, then she got to hug him again to make him turn back. A sinking feeling filled her up, and she brought a hand to her head. What on Earth was she doing?

She raced into the house. "Uh, Jayden, I gotta go. My dad just texted me, he, uh... he wants me back at the house for dinner. Talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

She ran off, and began to zip through the streets, tears filling her eyes and streaming as she hurried home.

She'd only been here a week. She couldn't be having feelings for Jayden. That would just screw with her and Yuki's relationship...

... This couldn't be happening.

**OMG Whatever will Becky-chan do? Haha... the song was "You've Been Here All Along" by Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. NO BASHING PLEASE. I know a lot of people don't like her, I do... if you can't say something nice about her OR the song, please don't say anything about her OR the song. Thank you, I love you guys!**

**Ok, now... there's a surprise for you peoples next chappie. So... REVIEW YA CRAZY PEOPLE! Remember I can see how many hits there are, so I know people are reading...! But only one person is reviewing. And starting next chapter... if you don't review you won't get a chance to get my surprise. :D So review!**

**... By the way. While most of my hits come from the good ole US of A, I get some hits from the WEIRDEST countries. On one of my stories the other day, I got a hit from GHANA. *pulls out giant map of the world* Does anybody know where Ghana is?**

**Yuki: *raises hand***

**Me: *rolls eyes* BESIDES Mr. I'm-So-Pretty-And-Smart.**

**Kyo: Oh oh I know!**

**Me: *rolls eyes again* Besides Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass. P**

**Kyo: YOU WANNA GO BIATCH?**

**Me: *runs behind Ayame* AYA SHIELD ME WITH YOUR LONG GIRLY HAIR!**

**Aya: Kyo what are you doing? She's the authoress!**

**Kyo: NOT WHEN SHE MAKES ME LOOK BAD SHE'S NOT!**

_**Preview of Chapter 10...**_

_**-xxx-**_

"_Nancy, just go. He won't do you any harm, and if you like I'll go with you."_

_Nancy turned and picked up the knife, placing it back on the counter. "I'll go, Hatori, but not with you. I don't need anyone babysitting me - certainly not a man and not younger than I am. But for God's sake, would you send someone to finish these? Ritsu-kun and his friend are waiting."_

"_I'll make sure. Hurry along - Akito-sama doesn't like waiting."_

_She stalked right past him and out of the kitchen, striding confidently to Akito Sohma's room._

_If she was going into the belly of the beast, she was going out the demon's ass with the shred of dignity she had left._


	10. Chapter 10

_With this heart, I will accept punishment, even for something I have not done._

Nancy had no idea why he would want to see her, especially now. She didn't know why Akito had called her to his room. Becky was long gone now; she and Yuki were still in a relationship, yes, of course... but he had no fear of them touching in the next month. And while she herself still harbored feelings for Hatori, she knew he had a girlfriend. She was trying to keep herself as far away from him as possible. Instead, she had begun trying to date Shigure. It wasn't going very well, however - every time they went out, he looked at other women, sometimes even girls who were still in high school. She would smack the living daylights out of the man, and they would end up going home before the date was even supposed to be over. She knew that by doing this, she was only hurting Shigure and fooling herself.

She still loved Hatori, no matter how much she didn't want to admit it.

She had been in the middle of making lunch for Ritsu. He had brought home a girl with short white hair and blue eyes, and was now sitting with her - quite awkwardly, if she had to describe it - in the living room. She'd asked who the girl was, and the poor man stuttered every time he tried to say her name. She would look in every so often, to see that Ritsu would be trying to stroke the girl's hair, but she did nothing except perhaps smile just a bit. She would try to hold his hand once in a while, but Ritsu would move away before she could.

Nancy was in the middle of making them something to eat when she received word that she had been "summoned". She'd been slicing up seaweed to wrap around onigiri when Hatori walked into the room. She didn't notice him until he spoke. She swore the man made absolutely _no_ sound when he walked. He shouldn't transform into a seahorse. He should transform into a... a ninja-fish or something. She wasn't even sure if those existed, but if they did, Hatori would be under that classification. "Akito-sama wishes to see you, Nancy."

She was lucky she hadn't had the knife in her hand at that moment, because she probably would have cut herself when she jumped about a mile. She turned around and put a hand on her hip. "Really, now? And did the ever-crazy God of the Zodiac happen to tell you what he needs to see _me_ for, seahorse boy?"

If Hatori were a sarcastic man, he probably would have been rolling his eyes at her comments. "No. He just told me that he wishes to see you." He turned around. "I suggest you show a bit more respect than you did during your last visit. He complained that you didn't bow to him."

"And why the _hell_ should I bow to him, huh?" Nancy balled her fists, and she was glad she wasn't holding a rice ball right now; she would have crumbled it to bits and had to clean up the mess. "He's the one who made my life and my daughter's life a living nightmare for the past month! He is the one who _spied_ on my daughter while she was on a _date_ with his son - by way of _Ritsu_, the sweetest man on the planet!" She turned around. "And he keeps you here. He keeps you _all_ here because he likes control. He likes feeling like he's got a handle on everything. He likes the power that comes from manipulating you all and he's _drunk_ off that power."

"Nancy..." Hatori was trying to stop her.

"No, no, let me finish. I'm just getting to the good part. He likes the fact that he can control you all with a simple _thought_. And then when someone shows up - people like me, Rebecca, and Tohru - who _threatens_ that power, it freaks the living _hell_ out of him! He's trapped you all here, and now that Rebecca is loosening the hold on Yuki, he thinks it'll happen to everyone else. He doesn't want anyone to leave. The only one who had enough fricking guts to get out of this hellhole was Kureno."

"Don't you _dare_ talk about Kureno. If Akito finds out you even mentioned his name in this house..."

"He can't do anything to _me_! I'm not a member of the Zodiac! He can't control _me_! He can sure as all hell control everybody else but he _cannot control __**me**_!" She swept her hand out, and the knife that had been laying on the counter clattered to the floor. "You know what? He doesn't deserve my respect after all he's done. _Screw him_, and he can go off himself if he so desires."

"Nancy, just go. He won't do you any harm, and if you like I'll go with you."

Nancy turned and picked up the knife, placing it back on the counter. "I'll go, Hatori, but not with you. I don't need anyone babysitting me - certainly not a man and not younger than I am. But for God's sake, would you send _someone_ to finish _these_? Ritsu-kun and his friend are waiting."

"I'll make sure. Hurry along - Akito-sama doesn't like waiting."

She stalked right past him and out of the kitchen, striding confidently to Akito Sohma's room.

If she was going into the belly of the beast, she was going out the demon's ass with the shred of dignity she had left.

-xxx-

"You know the drill, Nancy. Shoes off."

Nancy slipped her sneakers off and got to her knees. She knew exactly what to do so she would please Akito slash not anger him further, and if she did that then she wouldn't be beaten. She bowed before the dark-haired man, having tied her own hair back. "I understand you wished to speak to me, Akito-sama."

"Like hell I did." Without any warning, Akito reached out his hand and gave her a smack across the face. It wasn't like a light, friendly, "stay-outta-trouble-you-crazy-kid" smack. It was a full-out bitch slap. He was mad, and she would have to guess he was mad at her. "Who do you think you are, huh? You think that just because the brat is gone, that _you're_ safe? Neither of you are safe! You're sure as hell not safe _here_, and I've made _sure_ she's not going to be safe over there!" He suddenly grabbed a good chunk of her hair and yanked her face up so that her eyes were level with his. "Look at me." When she still averted her eyes, he shook her. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, damn it!" When she finally looked up at him, he stopped shaking her, but didn't let go of her hair, still pulling it. "You think you're _so frigging smart_. But you're not. I admit it was clever to stage that second divorce and have What's-His-Name whisk the girl off to America for a month. Yet you didn't speculate about what I would do to _you_ once I figured out what you did."

"You can't do _anything_ to me, you Sohma bastard," she spat, glaring at him.

Akito glared right back at her for a moment. Then she felt something connect with the left side of her face, and she stumbled backward as he let go of her hair. She landed on the floor, and looked up at him. She wondered why her eye was suddenly throbbing. It took her all of ten seconds to realize that Akito Sohma had just punched her in the face.

"I can do whatever I want, you smug little bitch!" he shouted at her. "And that's why I'm confining you!" He had that stupid smirk on his face, the one that made her want to slap the living daylights out of him. "Until the girl returns from America, I'm locking you up. You're not allowed to leave the room I put you in. I believe I'll give you the one that's reminiscent of a medieval dungeon cell." He picked up an intercom. "Hatori, get your ass in here! _This woman_ needs to be hauled out of here!"

Within a minute, the door was open. Hatori stood there, emotionless as usual. His eyes, however, widened when he saw that Nancy was on the floor with a hand over the left side of her face. "Akito-sama... what happened in here? Why is she hurt?"

Akito had a displeased look on his face, as if angry that Hatori would think of Nancy before him. "She needed to be reminded of her place. She lashed out at me... so I struck her. Take her to the room to the right of this one. She is not to be let out until that girl arrives back." He waved his hand, looking away. "Get her out of my sight."

Hatori helped Nancy up, but she pushed him away as she stalked out of the room. Still nursing her now black eye, she shot him a glare to rival any she'd ever given Akito.

"He won't do me any harm, huh?" She walked far ahead of him. "You always were a terrible liar, Hatori."

**OMG WOOHOO CHAPTER 1O! ARE YOU GUYS AS EXCITED AS I AM?**

**... Ahem.**

**Anyway, onto my special surprise. I will be hosting...**

***bum bum buuuuuummmmmm***

**... A contest! :D**

**OK, here's how it works. The person who sends me the best and I mean THE BEST picture of Yuki and Becky together, you will win something special. What is this something special, you may ask?**

**If you win the contest, you will get... YOUR OWN CHARACTER IN THIS STOREH! Your character will be the romantic interest of one of the Sohma guys. You have three choices as to who you'd like your character to be the romantic interest of: Akito, Shigure, or Momiji. :D Isn't that awesome? :) (Sorry, no Haru... I like OCs with Haru, but in this story I've paired Haru and Rin together... DON'T KILL ME! T.T)**

**OK, well, there IS something else. I know you're probably thinking... BUT WHAT IF I CAN'T DRAW OR EDIT OR ANYTHING? OMG WHY A'ISHA WHY?**

**... Well stop thinking that! If you're not artistically inclined, you can still enter. If you're not a good artist, feel free to write a little oneshot or something - really ANYTHING - about any of the couples featured thus far in either of the WTH series. The three main couples are Kyo and Tohru... Nancy and Hatori... and of course, Yuki and Becky. I'd prefer pictures... so if you CAN draw or whatever, please draw!**

**OK, well... thanks for reading, entering and whatnot! Mayhaps in future chapters I shall have a surprise for you...**

**Well, I suppose that's all I got to say for now so... THANKS FOR READING! I LOVE JYOOOOO ALLLLLLLLL!**

_**Preview of Chapter 11...**_

_**-xxx-**_

"_You shoulda seen it, he was all..." She made a horrified face, throwing her hands up in mortification. "'**Becca-chan, what happened to my dress**?'" she cried, mimicking Ayame's deep voice. "And - And then he got this funny look and he was all like, 'I-I mean, **your** dress, your dress, the dress I made for **you**...' I love Aya so much, he's just awesome like that."_

"_He sounds funny."_

"_Just remember, Bret..." She squeezed his shoulders tightly. "There's plenty of fish in the sea! You'll meet another girl who's **crazy** about you!"_

"_Uh, Becks..." Bret pressed a button on his guitar._

"_Cheer up, emo kid!" Becky shrieked happily, collapsing on the couch._

**Till next time,**

**-Ai-chan ^^**


	11. Chapter 11

_With this heart, I will bond with my family._

It was hard for Becky to face Jayden in school after the day she ran out. But she gathered herself, and went to school the next week still missing the rest of the gang in Kaibara. She had talked to Yuki Friday night, right before she had gone to bed. He had called her during his lunch period to talk, and she decided to tell him that she'd just made at least one friend. He said that was good, and she didn't tell him that the one friend she'd made was a guy. He may not have been the jealous type, but that was enough to make _any_ boyfriend jealous.

So she went to school like normal, and she rejoiced to notice that the week was almost over. She avoided talking to Jayden as much as possible. When he did insist on talking to her, she looked straight ahead, and gave short answers - much like the way she handled things when Ayame got that look in his eye that said he wanted to "give her some new make-up". Because that was _never_ what he wanted to do.

Through the day, she could tell Jayden was getting kind of fed up with her not wanting to talk. Thankfully, she got out of school before him, and hurried back to the house. She didn't realy run, but she didn't exactly walk either. When she got there, she found Bret sitting on the couch, messing with the Wii remote. Not seeing her father, she sat down. "Dad asleep?"

"Yep." Bret picked up one of the Guitar Hero guitars and put the Wii inside.

"So... whatcha doin'?"

"Playing Guitar Hero... or _trying_ to."

Becky smiled, elbowing her brother in the ribs. He didn't seem to be in such a good mood, either. "You know, I never could work the Wii. While I was in Kaibara, my boyfriend always had to get it set up for me because I messed it up every time I tried."

"Some technologically advanced sister I got."

"Breeeeeet." Becky circled her arms around the boy's head in a weird hug, letting out a "grr!" for good measure. "What's the matter with you? What, did you have a bad day?"

"Hmm." Bret sighed, leaning back and letting the guitar fall over his stomach and hips. "Yeah, well... school's not all it's cracked up to be."

"Pfft, tell me about it," Becky scoffed. "I mean, _education_? It's not education, it's bored-ucation." She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back. "What happened, huh? Tell your big sis." She waved her hand. "Believe me, I've had my share of bad school experiences... just last month, I swear."

Bret shrugged, flipping his glittery, black-dyed bangs out of his face. "It's just that there's this... _girl_ I like."

"Oooh, crushes! What's her name?"

"Trevor."

"You like a girl named Trevor?"

"Yeah, well..." He shook his head, and Becky swore she saw a tinge of pink on his cheeks. "Her parents _really_ wanted a boy."

"She kind of a tomboy?"

"Yeah, sorta. She's really nice, though, and she's _so_ cute..."

"Hey, hey! Slow down on the 'cute' talk." Becky rolled her eyes. "I don't need to hear about _that_. So anyway, did something happen today with Miss Trevor?"

"... Well, I was gonna ask her out today." He pressed a button on the guitar, changing the screen. "But before I could, I saw one of my other friends asking her out."

"How did you know he was asking her out?"

"He told me afterwards. She said yes."

"Awwww." Becky put an arm around him. "Well, don't feel too bad, Bret. Did you know _my_ boyfriend has an entire _fan club_?"

Bret looked up and his eyes widened. "Seriously? He has a buncha girls screaming over him?"

"I think the correct term is 'squeeing', but yeah, basically. And get this - the fan club's _president_ threatened me! _And_ they dumped punch on me at the dance last Friday!"

"Oh, gross! Wish I coulda seen it..."

"Yeah. Yuki's brother made me a dress, and it got ruined. Well, not _permanently_ ruined, but poor Aya freaked out when he saw the punch all over it. He just about _died_. I almost wished I'd taken that camera from Ma and snapped a picture of his face. You shoulda seen it, he was all..." She made a horrified face, throwing her hands up in mortification. "'_Becca-chan, what happened to my dress_?'" she cried, mimicking Ayame's deep voice. "And - And then he got this funny look and he was all like, 'I-I mean, _your_ dress, your dress, the dress I made for _you_...' I love Aya so much, he's just awesome like that."

"He sounds funny."

"Just remember, Bret..." She squeezed his shoulders tightly. "There's plenty of fish in the sea! You'll meet another girl who's _crazy_ about you!"

"Uh, Becks..." Bret pressed a button on his guitar.

"Cheer up, emo kid!" Becky shrieked happily, collapsing on the couch.

"... Becks, do you maybe wanna play Guitar Hero with me?"

"Sure!" She grabbed the other guitar and put the Wii-mote inside it. "I may not know how to work a Wii, but I know my way around the guitar! I'ma kick your _can_ at 'Welcome to the Jungle'!"

"Oh, yeah, we'll see about _that_! How about I whup your ass at 'Bulls on Parade'? We'll see how you feel about that, Becks!"

A woman with brown hair and brown eyes walked out of the kitchen. "You must be Becky! I didn't realize you'd be here so soon."

"Oh, Becks!" Bret pointed to the woman. "That's Shannon. You know, Dad's girlfriend? She's only over here 'cause... why _are_ you over here, Shannon?" He blinked at her. "Dad's asleep."

"I know. I gave him a Tupperware thing last week, and he must forgotten to bring it back, and I need it, so I figured I'd just come here and get it. Well, I have it, so..." She headed toward the door. "It was nice meeting you, Becky! I hope I'll see you again soon."

"Yeah, you too. Bye."

"Bye, guys." She walked out, shutting the door.

Becky put the guitar strap around her neck. "She seems... nice."

"She is. Now... what song did you wanna get your battle on to first?"

**Haha... funny chapter.**

**... I haven't gotten any submissions for the contest yet. In fact since the last few chapters I've updated, I haven't been getting very many reviews period. Do you guys not wanna do the contest? Did I get a big head and assume you'd wanna do it? ... Are jyoo guys mad at me?...**

**Well, anyway, enjoy the chapter I guess. ^^**


	12. Chapter 12

**Before we actually start this...**

**THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO HOPPYBUNNY98. I just wanted to make sure you all knew that. She gave me the idea for this chapter with Motoko and the fangirls. XD *hugs Bunny-chan* EVERYBODY GIVE BUNNY-CHAN A CYBER-HUG! :D**

**... This author's comment was brought to you by Danish Wedding Cookies, because the authoress has been eating them for the past five minutes as she was uploading... XD Oh and water. ^^ Can't get enough of the water...**

_With this heart, I'll be missing you._

One thing Yuki didn't expect from gym class was a free period. But both the boys' and girls' teachers had substitutes, which was weird. They had the lesson plans from the regular teachers, but since it was just practicing basketball shooting, they decided to pretty much let the teens do whatever they wanted.

So Yuki sat on the sidelines with Kyo, helping the cat with his geometry homework. He didn't really want to be working with Kyo, but basketball wasn't his favorite thing to play. Yuki was taking a look at the problems, and Kyo was watching and waiting for advice, his cheek propped up by his hand. "I really _hate_ this shit."

"It can seem confusing at first... but sine, cosine, and tangent problems are actually very easy once you get the formulas down," Yuki commented, writing one of the equations on a scrap sheet of paper. "Why don't you try this one?"

"But I _got_ the formulas." Kyo pointed to one of the cosine questions. "I plugged it all in right and I _still_ got the wrong answer. See? I can even show you how I did it!"

Yuki handed his cousin a calculator. "Okay, show me then."

Kyo took a glance at the problem, then punched some things into the calculator. He hit the ENTER/= button and displayed the screen to Yuki. "See! I still get it wrong!"

Yuki looked at the screen, then raised an eyebrow. He pointed to part of the equation in parentheses. "That's because you punched in a negative. Degrees can't be negative, Kyo."

"Well, damn it, I know _that_!" Kyo compared the answer in the calculator and the answer on his paper. "Damn... why the hell did I put in a negative? I feel so stupid."

Yuki rolled his eyes, refraining from shooting back a remark along the lines of, _"That's because you are."_ He shook his head. "Well, why don't you try that problem again with a _positive_ amount, and see if you get the right answer now?"

"Got it." Kyo started working.

All of a sudden, the majority of the Prince Yuki Fan Club (minus a few members who weren't in this period) came swaggering out of the girls' locker room. Motoko was in the lead, happily marching the girls over to the stage, where she, along with the vice president of the club, hopped up on it to sit.

"I can tell I'm probably not going to like where this is headed..." Yuki muttered, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"I never like _anything_ involving those chicks," Kyo agreed, still working out the problem. "They creep the hell outta me."

Yuki glared slightly. "Working hard or hardly working, Kyo?"

"I'm still doing it, I was just agreeing with you!"

Yuki sighed, looking over at his fangirls. This would probably prove to be both hilarious and pointless at the same time.

"Did somebody bring a picture of the blonde airhead?" Motoko asked, crossing her legs like a lady.

One of the girls passed forward a picture of Becky. "There's the Wicked Bitch of the West!"

"Ha!" Motoko snatched the picture and stared at it for a moment. "Who does she think she is, stealing Prince Yuki from us?"

"She's a nobody!" the fangirls cheered.

"That's exactly what she is!" Motoko began to furiously rip up the picture, grinning happily as she did it. She tore it with both with her bare hands and with her long, red-painted nails. "And now she's gone! _We shall prevail_!"

As the girls all began to rejoice, Yuki sweatdropped, hanging his head. Their evil laughter was actually starting to _scare_ him. "They do know she's coming back... right?"

"Wouldn't surprise me if they didn't," Kyo said. He held up the little scrap paper. "Hey, does this look right?"

Yuki looked at the paper, then picked up the original sheet of problems, holding them side by side. "No, that two is supposed to be a three."

"_Damn it_!"

-xxx-

Nancy had been locked in whatever this room was for two days so far. Her only visitors were Hatori, who brought her food, and Shigure, who came to console her. Though she really didn't feel like being consoled... she felt like getting out of this damn room. It was making her claustrophobic... not to mention that, unlike her daughter, she hated the dark.

Shigure was with her now, sitting beside her on the floor. He had a pair of bongos, and he was tapping at them, humming. He glanced over at her. "So, Nancy-chan... it can't be very comfortable sitting in here like this all the time, maybe I could give you a massage?"

"No, what I want is to be let go."

Shigure ruffled her hair. "No can do, my sweet little rice ball. I'm afraid Akito has forbidden me from taking you out of this room... no matter how much I really, _really_ want to. But perhaps the time would pass quicker if I played you some music. Would you like to hear a song I wrote you?"

She threw her head back. "_NO, WHAT I WANT IS TO BE LET GO_!"

"Your choice!" Shigure began beating the heck out of the bongos again, hitting out a rhythm. "_I love Nancy... she can love me, can't she? I love Nancy... she tickles my faaaancyyyyyy_..." He looked up and grinned at her, waiting for a positive review. "What d'you think?"

Nancy sighed, hanging her head. "And I thought it was painful being locked inside a room without sunlight."

Shigure leaned over, grinning. "So, how about a kiss for your favorite court jester?"

She shoved him away. "Get outta my sight, you damn perv! And get your mind outta the gutter!"

"Owwww!" Shigure hopped up, holding his shoulder and pouting. He ran out of the room wailing. "Aya, Nancy-chan pushed me! _She's so meeeean_!"

Nancy crossed her arms. "Serves you right!" she yelled, even though the door was closed and he couldn't hear her. "... Bastard..."

**Haha... haha... well. Ahem. The last part of this chapter, as well as Shigure-kun's little song, was inspired by an episode of _The Suite Life of Zack and Cody_. Cookies to anyone who knows which episode it was!**

**A few announcements, everyone?**

**I've decided to postpone the contest, due to apparent lack of interest. I'll still accept submissions if you want to send them, but so far I haven't gotten any and I won't start judging until I formally announce a deadline. Mm'kay? ^^**

**... Actually I think that's the only announcement I have... XD**

**Oh and it might be a while before the next chapter's out, it's not finished and I haven't been in a Furuba mood lately... BUT SOON, I PROMISE! I'll do my best, I'm sorry I haven't been in the mood to write Furuba... but I'll try to get back into it soon! I love you all, remember that before you steal Ritsu-chan-san's clothes and throw them at me!**

**Akito: Oh please, you'd like that.**

**Ai-chan: Well... maybe I would...**

**Akito: ... You do realize the camera's still rolling right? So you basically just admitted to being a perv.**

**Ai-chan: O.o Nuuuuuuuuu~! *runs off to her Emo Corner to hide***

**Well thanks for reading and/or reviewing! (Reviewing would be nice... lol... it'd bring me out of my Emo Corner at least... XD)**

**PREVIEW!**

_**Preview of Chapter 13...**_

_**-xxx-**_

_"I couldn't sleep," came his tired voice. He yawned loudly on the other end, and she could just imagine him rubbing his eyes. He sounded so adorable. "I figured I'd call and ask if you wanted to have a date today."_

_Becky raised an eyebrow. "Yuki... I think you need to go back to bed for a few more hours and then wake up again. I'm on the other side of the **world**."_

_"No! No, I know, Rebecca. But Ayame and I got to talking... and he brought up the video I'd made for you. You know, the one on the DVD? And he got this sad look and said something like, 'I wish we could use the webcam on my laptop to talk to her but the screen's cracked because **someone **dropped it.' And at **that **point, Shigure Sensei came in and started whining that it wasn't his fault, and then-"_


	13. Chapter 13

_With this heart, I will prepare to see your face again._

Becky rejoiced when this Friday was over. She'd gotten out before Jayden again, so she didn't see him that day either. She walked straight home, listening to random songs on her MP3 player - including "Defying Gravity" from _Wicked_, though how that song ended up there, she'd never know. But she did belt shamelessly out to it, earning weird looks from the people on the street as she was walking. "_Too long I've been afraid of losing love I guess I've lost... well, if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost_!" she sang, doing a little dance as she walked down the roads. "_I think I'll try defying gravity... kiss me good-bye, I'm defying gravity... and you can't pull me down_!" **(1)**

She skipped inside once she got to the house. She said hi to Bret, promising to join him in playing Guitar Hero in just a minute. She hurried to her room (the storage room) where she'd hung up a colorful calendar. With a fat red Sharpie, she drew a giant X over today's date, then did a little jig. "Two down, two to go!" She capped the marker and sighed. "Don't worry, Yuki, my baby... Becky's gonna be home before you know it, my cute little ratty rat!"

-xxx-

Saturday was one of Becky's favorite days. She got to sleep in. Bret didn't even wake her up. Her dad, she assumed, was either out with Shannon or sleeping by the time she got up. She and Bret were alone for the majority of the day, and they made the most of it. They spent the morning playing Guitar Hero and Wii Party. He normally kicked her butt at a lot of the games on Wii Party - but she usually smoked him at several songs on Guitar Hero, so the universe balanced out.

Bret tried to make grilled cheese for lunch, but that didn't exactly go as planned. Becky was amused to find that his cooking skills were just as bad as Yuki's - if not worse, though she didn't see how that was possible. So they just tossed a box of Tostito's pizza rolls in the microwave. "Geez Louise," Becky laughed, "I'm lucky _I_ know how to cook... between you and my boyfriend, food wouldn't stand a chance if I wasn't here!"

Midway through eating, Becky's phone went off. "It's probably Yuki," Becky commented as she reached for it. "He's probably getting ready to go to sleep... oh, wait, no. It's, like, five in the fudging morning over there. Ohhh, he's gonna get _such_ an earful outta me..." She clicked the phone open. "Yuki-kun! What are you doing up, baby? It's way too early for you to be up on a Saturday."

"I couldn't sleep," came his tired voice. He yawned loudly on the other end, and she could just imagine him rubbing his eyes. He sounded so adorable. "I figured I'd call and ask if you wanted to have a date today."

Becky raised an eyebrow. "Yuki... I think you need to go back to bed for a few more hours and then wake up again. I'm on the other side of the _world_."

"No! No, I know, Rebecca. But Ayame and I got to talking... and he brought up the video I'd made for you. You know, the one on the DVD? And he got this sad look and said something like, 'I wish we could use the webcam on my laptop to talk to her but the screen's cracked because _someone_ dropped it.' And at _that_ point, Shigure Sensei came in and started whining that it wasn't his fault, and then-"

"Yuki. Would you get to _your_ point?"

"Well, I started thinking... there was a kid in our class who could fix the screen. And then we could use the webcam. And... I could have a sort of video date with you. What do you think?"

Becky smiled and felt herself blushing. "Oh, Yuki... I think that's the most romantic thing I've ever heard. When should we have it?"

"Well, I was thinking a dinner date for you, a lunch date for me. So... in about maybe three, four hours?"

"That would only be, like, nine over there."

"Okay... well, um... when do you usually eat dinner?"

"Daddy and Bret eat at five, but I can probably wait till seven. So... in six hours? That should be around noon over there. Does that work for you?"

"That sounds great. I can't wait for tonight... er, this afternoon... well, whatever. I sure wish we were on the same time zone because this is honestly getting a little confusing."

"I know what you mean. Text me the details and frequency, alright? I gotta go now."

"Bye, Rebecca. I'll see you soon."

Becky hung up and did a little dance right there. "_I'm having my first video chat date_!"

Bret deadpanned. "Most people don't ever even have _one_ of those."

"I know! It's awesome, isn't it?" She ran off. "I gotta go get ready, I only have six hours!"

-xxx-

Becky really wished Jason would have _left_ before it was time for her date with Yuki, but it couldn't be helped. At least he'd allowed her to stick her dinner in the fridge and take it to "her room" when it was seven.

She temporarily placed her dinner on a box that was marked "Sports", and stacked two boxes to put her laptop on. If she'd only used one, she and Yuki probably wouldn't be at eye level with each other - he'd probably be staring at her stomach. Once she'd adjusted her webcam to the proper frequency, she took her plate of food in her lap and waited for Yuki to show up.

She really hoped the boy wasn't late for a _video_ rendezvous. She might have to cyber-whack him over the head.

**(1) - _Wicked_ is... well, wicked! ^^**

**Haha! Look at that, I lied! :D I decided to end it at a different place than I originally thought since it was long enough and that seemed like a pretty good place to stop. And I worked my ass off in study hall today so I could finish the preview before I was ASSAULTED by 15 little preschoolers at my job so... LOVE ME! ^^**

_**Preview of Chapter 14...**_

_**-xxx-**_

_Yuki chuckled, giving her one of those smiles she hadn't seen in what felt like an eternity. It was one of his smiles that said, **You might be crazy, but have I told you lately that I love you?** She lived for those smiles. "I miss you making me laugh. Has it been a month yet?"_

"_No offense to Shigure - but oh, hot **dog**, I wish! Speaking of Shigure, I know the first prank I'm gonna help Kyo pull on him when I get back."_

"_Oh? What's that?"_

"_... Flea bath."_


	14. Chapter 14

_With this heart, I will smile and laugh with you as I have not done in a long time._

Becky checked her appearance one last time, waiting for Yuki to connect on the frequency so they could start their date. She was a little hungry since she hadn't eaten earlier, but she didn't want to eat before he showed up. That seemed rude; after all, she wouldn't order in a restaurant before her date got there, would she? No, she'd wait.

Finally, there was some static on the screen, then Yuki's face popped up, looking at her. "Rebecca? Can you see me?"

Before she could say anything, Ayame poked his head into the picture, grinning more than should be humanly possible. "Oh, Becca-chan! We miss you so much! It's so good to see you! You look so pretty! Oh, guess what? I'm putting together a new outfit for you! It's not a dress this time, but don't worry, it'll still be beautiful! Of course, not as beautiful as you, that goes without saying but-"

"Ayame!" Yuki wrestled with his older brother for a few seconds. "Get off the webcam! Please! This is _my_ date with Rebecca, not yours!"

"But it's _my_ computer! And I miss her so much! I'm not even allowed to tell her 'hi'?"

"No!" Yuki finally shoved Ayame out of the picture and looked back at the webcam. "I can see you, Rebecca. Can you see me? Or did we screw this up?"

She giggled, pushing her hair back. "Nope, I can see you perfectly, Yuki-kun. And you look so handsome, by the way. Oh, and tell Aya hi for me. Tell him I can't wait to see my new outfit... _and_ I miss him, too."

"I will."

"But I miss _you_ more."

"I miss you a lot too. It's not as fun telling Kyo that my girlfriend is the greatest girlfriend in the world when you're not here to back me up."

"Awww, I know. But there's nothing I can do, unfortunately. But hey - just two more weeks!"

"The glass is half empty, is how I should look at it, I suppose."

"Yes! Ha-ha! Soon we shall have our victory..."

"Okay, you're starting to sound a little like my fangirls now."

"Why, what'd they - do I even _wanna_ know?"

"Well, during gym class yesterday, their president, Motoko, ripped up a

picture of you and yelled, 'We shall prevail!'"

"... Um, they know I'm not gone until the end of time, don't they?"

"That's what _I_ said."

"Ah, we know each other so well!"

"Telepathy, do you think?"

"Yes!"

Yuki chuckled, giving her one of those smiles she hadn't seen in what felt like an eternity. It was one of his smiles that said, _You might be crazy, but have I told you that's what I like best about you?_ She lived for those smiles. "I miss you making me laugh. Has it been a month yet?"

"No offense to Shigure - but oh, hot _dog_, I wish! Speaking of Shigure, I know the first prank I'm gonna help Kyo pull on him when I get back."

"Oh? What's that?"

"... Flea bath."

"Oh, please don't."

"Too late! Flea bath, flea bath, flea bath! And after that we're gonna take him for walkies with his _leash_!"

"... Shigure Sensei doesn't have a leash..."

"Well, Kyo's making one out of old bedsheets and pink felt!"

"You mean you've actually planned this and talked to Kyo about it?"

"Aren't cell phones awesome?"

Yuki sighed, but he was still smiling. "Yeah, I definitely miss your sense of humor."

Becky sat up a little, trying to see what Yuki had on his plate. "So, uh... what are you having? Did you make it?"

"No, your mother made it for me. Why?"

"Well, I wouldn't want you to get food poisoning on our first date in two weeks."

"My word, what is it with you and making fun of my cooking, Rebecca?"

"Like I've said before, the only reason it's second in the fun cateogory is because it's hilarious to watch Kyo cuss me out when I call him a chicken-cat!"

"..." He shook his head before taking a bite of his food. "He's going to give you _such_ a noogie one of these days, Rebecca," he told her once he'd finished swallowing.

"I'll be waiting!" She grinned, digging into her food.

She heard Yuki chuckle. "Are you hungry?"

"... No." This would have been more convincing had she not been talking with her mouth full.

"Why must you have a great sense of humor?"

"To even out with the fact that you've probably never cracked a joke in your life."

"You have no faith in me."

"Nope. Now go get a job, you crazy basket case!"

"I told you, cooking _is_ a job."

"As soon as you make something edible it will be."

"Ohhh, you had to go there!" Yuki smiled and poked his fork at the webcam's lens. "When you get back, young lady, you are in for _such_ a tickling..."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Maybe I would... maybe I wouldn't. How much faith do you have in me?"

"If you tickle me I'll turn you into a rat and I'll leave you that way for a week!"

"You're mean to me."

"Whoever said I was nice has another thing coming when I get my hands on them."

Yuki chuckled. "That's my Rebecca... lovely _and_ scary."

"And don't you _forget_ it."

"Forget what?"

Becky grinned at him. "Watch it, Sohma."

Before she could say anything else, the door to her "room" opened and Bret poked his black-banged head in. "Hi, Becks! Hi, Becks's boyfriend." He pointed at his sister. "I'm having a party tomorrow and Dad says you have to supervise."

She raised an eyebrow. "Where's _he_ gonna be?"

"Out with Shannon all day."

"Okay, well..." She glanced back at Yuki, then looked back at her brother. "I can do it... but right now, _leave_. I'm on a date."

"Oh yeah, that. Okay, bye! Thanks, you're the best sister ever!" He left, shutting the door.

Becky turned back to the computer. "Looks like I'm gonna be a chaperone person... thing. Um, cool?"

Yuki smiled at her. "I miss you. When you get back, can we maybe go on a real date?" He chuckled. "_Before_ you and Kyo pull that prank on Shigure Sensei?"

"Why before?"

"Well... after you do it, you'll probably be grounded for... mmm... eternity."

"Yeah, probably. I'll keep Kyo company... give him a bath."

Out of nowhere, Yuki suddenly raised his hand and put it on the screen, slightly obscuring himself from view. "I miss you so much. I wish I could touch you. You know, the truth is..." He sighed. "The thing I want most right now is for you to hug me. And that's so odd, considering my curse. But you've done it so much when we were together... it's kind of become routine. I'm used to it... my day just doesn't feel complete until you do it. It's like... all I can think about is when I'll be able to hold you again. Of course, it's not really, but... it seems like every other thought is wishing you were here."

Becky felt her heart melt and she put her own hand up on the screen where Yuki's cheek was. But it didn't feel like him. It felt like glass. Cold, unfeeling glass that wasn't able to return her emotions. All she really wanted right now was the feeling of his hand in hers, fingers interlacing as if they were a puzzle and they'd finally found their match. "I miss you too, Yuki. I miss you more than I've ever missed anything. Do you... do you remember when I told you about when I was in the hospital? I missed my own bed so much. But that doesn't even compare..." She felt the tears pricking at her eyes, and before she knew it she was crying.

"Oh, Rebecca, I'm so sorry." Yuki's voice floated out of the speaker to her, sounding so heartbroken. "I didn't mean to make you cry. I just... I don't know what to do. Nobody seems the same without you. It's like... without you here, there's just... there's something missing. But please don't cry. Remember, it's only two more weeks, right? Two more weeks, then we'll be together again. It's not that long. Please don't cry. I... I don't like... seeing you cry..."

She looked up, and when she focused on the screen through her tears, she realized that he was crying too. "Yuki... I didn't want you to cry, too. I'm just sad... but I want you to be happy. Even if I'm not there, please still feel like I am. I really _am_ there, Yuki..."

"Oh, I know." A smile crossed his beautiful lips, even as he wiped away his tears. "When I feel the wind blowing through my hair... that's you playing with it. When it rushes past my ear... that's you promising you'll be here soon. And when..." He took a few breaths and composed himself again. "When I'm up late at night, and I go to the kitchen, and I expect to see you there... and you're not... I go back to my room, and I turn my radio on. And every song I hear sounds like you." He chuckled. "Do you know what song I heard last night?"

"What one?"

"'So Kiss Me'. Do you remember that one?"

She smiled, and hummed the melody for a few seconds, then began to full out sing.

"_Oh, kiss me_

_Beneath the milky twilight_

_Lead me_

_Out on the moonlit floor_

_Lift your open hand_

_Strike up the band and_

_Make the fireflies dance_

_Silver moon is sparkling..._

_So kiss me_..."

"That's the one." Yuki sighed, then looked back up at the webcam and smiled - he was smiling right at her. She knew he was. "Rebecca... when you get back, may I please, _please_ kiss you? The moment you return?"

She gave him a fake glare. "Yukiiiii! You do that and I'll have burns on top of jet lag!"

"Hey." He shrugged. "I just think it's fair that if you get to turn me into a rat, I get to be a candle."

She grinned at him, knowing that it was something he'd prefer over her crying. "Yeah, I guess that is fair! I'll be looking forward to it."

* * *

_**Preview of Chapter 15...**_

"_Sorry if I was a little rusty." She stepped back from him, grinning shyly. "It's been a while since I danced with anybody - and that was my boyfriend. To a slow song."_

"_Hey, don't worry. You were alright. Although that last pose..."_

"_Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to land like that, I tripped over some air..."_

"_Hey Becks!" She turned to see Bret and he was holding... wait. Was he offering her a cigarette. "You want a smoke?"_

_She raised an eyebrow. "Bret! Are you serious? You obviously forget how sick that __stuff makes my boyfriend. Do what you want with your body, but I'm not ruining mine. That stuff can kill you!"_

"_Becks, you won't die from one cigarette. At least try it. Come on, it makes you feel really good." He held it out again._

_She tried to think of Yuki... she tried to remember how sick he got when he'd just breathed it in. But she really needed to feel good right now... and she didn't feel good. If that could make her feel good... maybe she should try it._

**OMG LOOK I FIGURED OUT HOW TO MAKE A SEPARATION-LINE THINGY. XD**

**Anyway... wowee! We got some drama up in here. Just so you people know, that's the first time I've ever typed up the preview BEFORE typing the actual chapter so... appreciate me! I bust my ass for you people! ... AND I'm teaching preschool tomorrow! Haha... art and game, baby, art and game. Wish me luck? XD**

**Well, I hope you guys liked!**

**OH BEFORE I GO. Does anybody want me to put up a picture of Yuki and Becky just for reference, to let them know what she looks like? Basics, she has blonde hair and green eyes, if anyone forgot. Oh yeah... and she likes her OWN clothes. XD As opposed to the uniform for the school. If I do put one up, which would you guys prefer? Her and Yuki hanging out, hugging at a random moment, or at the dance from the last chapter of "With These Hands"? I'll do one based on how many votes I get for each scene.**

**Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!**

**~Ai-chan out ^^**


	15. Chapter 15

_With this heart, I will cry over the influence I have given in to._

By five-thirty the next night, Becky was sitting in her room, doing a little bit of homework. She was trying to get a little work on her project for _Catcher in the Rye_ done, because she didn't want to be doing all of it at the last possible minute before she went back to Kaibara. Knowing them, they probably wouldn't let her leave if she didn't finish all her schoolwork by the time she went back. She knew Bret's party started in half an hour, but she didn't worry about getting all dressed up. She was only a chaperone - what should she get all dolled up for? Technically she wasn't invited; she was just going to be there because Bret needed somebody to supervise while Jason was out. So she was just waiting for Bret to come get her for the party, she was attempting to get a little work done - as the princess of procrastination, it wasn't going to get done any other way.

Before she could accomplish too much, however, Bret came racing into her room and almost - _almost_ - crashed into the box holding her laptop. "Becks! Are you ready for the party?"

She shrugged, closing her laptop for the time being. It looked like she was in for a _serious_ conversation, young lady. "Yeah, I guess. _You_ certainly look ready."

Bret was dressed up with his hair spiked a little, and a black hoodie with a skull design over a plain red T-shirt that advertised Voltaire. The outfit was completed by a pair of black jeans, sneakers, and - big surprise - those arm warmers/gloves that only covered the backs and palms of your hands, not your fingers. Those were striped red and black, and went up to his elbows. His blue eyes looked her over and blinked a few times. "Beeeeeeecks!" he whined, tugging on her arm. "You're gonna embarrass me! Look at how you're dressed."

Becky glanced down at herself. She sweatdropped when she realized she was wearing one of Yuki's black sweaters and she'd "borrowed" a pair of Kyo's blue jeans. "Oh. Ha-ha... the shirt is my boyfriend's, and the pants are his cousin's. Guess I packed them by mistake."

"Sure, you did. But you can't come to my party dressed like that!" He shook his head. "You look like... like... a _college_ girl."

"What's wrong with that?"

"College people are _old_."

"Ooh boy, you're lucky Mom's not around to hear you say that. Why do _I_

have to dress in anything but a sweater and jeans? It's _your_ party. I'm just there to make sure you little monkeys don't break anything... or get each other pregnant."

"Becks, we're not that stupid. Sex starts in tenth grade, not eighth." **(1)**

"Proves my point, you're an idiot. If you were smart you'd wait till you were married... or at least till you found someone you'd been with for more than a year."

"Hey, I plan to wait at least six months when I find a girlfriend."

"What if your relationship doesn't last that long, huh, lover boy?"

"Then I find a girl who's willing to wait."

Becky sighed. "Well, you're not a _complete_ moron, I'll give you that..."

"You're lucky, I figured as much." He gave her a grin. "I got you some awesome clothes, just in case you dressed like... _this_."

Becky raised an eyebrow. "Why are you giving me the same look that Aya does when he tells me he wants to 'touch up my look'...?"

"Come on!"

By the time Bret was done giving her the clothes he'd gotten for her, she hardly recognized herself in the mirror. He'd gotten her a black tank top that revealed her midsection (as well as clasping a fake belly button ring on her navel), and a red skort, which was basically a skirt in the front and shorts in the back. He'd also given her a pair of dark purple ballet-style flats, with fishnet winding halfway up her left leg. He'd also pulled most of her hair back with a black Lolita-type ribbon, leaving a little to hang around her face.

"... You expect me to wear this in public."

"Yeah."

"You're worse than Aya, honestly. At least he didn't put me in a _skort_... hot pants, yes, but never a skort. Nobody even knows what a skort _is_ anymore!"

"They still sell them, so _somebody_ must know!"

"Nobody in our generation, Bret, _our_ generation."

"Hey look, people are starting to get here!" He ducked out of the room for a second, then came back. "If you're going to do anything else, do it in the next five minutes!"

Becky sighed and went back to her own room. She fished out a yarn-and-bead necklace Momiji had made for her. Going all the way around her neck, it read "Becca and Momiji Best Friends 4-Ever". She didn't know _where_ the hell the kid had gotten that many letter beads to spell all that out, but she wasn't complaining. She had no problem wearing _that_ in public.

"Best friends forever, Momiji-chan," she smiled as she opened the door.

* * *

Becky rolled her eyes when she saw some people lighting cigarettes - her brother included. It was only, like, five minutes into the party. Couldn't they wait? She shook her head and went to stand over by the refreshment table - which really was nothing more than a bowl that had some drink made of Hawaiian Punch and 7-Up and a couple bags of chips. She contemplated getting some of the punch, but then decided against it. With all this smoke floating around, it probably wouldn't taste like anything but that.

"Hey."

She glanced up to see... Jayden. Great. Why was he here if this was a party for Bret's friends? She shifted, leaning against the table. "Jayden, what are you doing here?"

"I heard about my little buddy's party, asked if I could come. He said yes."

"Let me guess. You only came because you figured you'd see me here."

"Well, kinda. But hey, don't worry - I know you have a boyfriend and you're not willing to give it up. I kind of like that sorta girl. I just wanted to hang out some more... like we did that one day when you had to leave early. By the way, why does it seem like you're always avoiding me anymore?"

"Because... I don't wanna get attached. I'm not staying here, you know that, don't you? As soon as it's December 31, I get to go back to Kaibara and spend New Year's with my mom and my boyfriend and all of my friends."

"Seems like the only 'friends' you have over there are your boyfriend's family, the way you were talking about them."

"They were the first people that were nice to met when I moved there. And besides, he's got a big family. There are at least twelve of them, maybe more. And they all like me. Well... except for his dad, but that's not for the reason you think."

"Oh yeah? And why doesn't he like you?"

"That's none of your business. I can't tell you."

"Whatever. Look, I'm not going to go after you. I promise."

"Great. Now go enjoy the party. I'm just here as a supervisor to make sure the little crazies don't burn the place down." She moved to look past him and groaned. "Hey! Put that thing out in the _ashtray_, not on the _floor_!"

Jayden chuckled. "Well then, feel free to just... supervise."

"And while I'm supervising Bret and his friends, _you_ better not be supervising _any_ part of _me_."

"Hey, gotcha. So... let's be friends, okay? Since I'm not interested in you and you're not interested in me, being friends is better than being enemies. Trust me, you do _not_ want me as an enemy."

"That goes double for you. I am a _bitch_."

After a minute of them both standing there, a new song came on, "Pressure" by Paramore. Jayden looked over at Becky and beckoned her over. "Wanna dance? I love this song."

Becky sighed, but then moved out onto the floor with him. "Yeah, me too. I guess one dance couldn't hurt, and it's not really a romantic song, so we're all good."

"Hey, could be taken as romantic."

She glared. "Do you want me to dance?"

"... But I'm not taking it as romantic..."

"Good boy, I might let you keep your hands." She began to dance, trying not to worry about what her top revealed. He'd just said he didn't have feelings for her, right? So he shouldn't be looking. And these weirdo 14-year-olds shouldn't be either, if they liked their eyes. She made motions like she was drumming, and Jayden shredded an air guitar.

"_Tell me where our time went_

_And if it was time well spent_

_Just don't let me fall asleep_

_Feeling empty again_

'_Cause I fear I might break_

_And I fear I can't take it_

_Tonight I'll lie awake_

_Feeling empty_..."

Both of them head-banged a little bit, each placing a hand palm-up on the other's and pushing when the lyrics called for it.

"_I can feel the pressure_

_It's getting closer now_

_We're better off without you_

_I can feel the pressure_

_It's getting closer now_

_We're better off without you_..."

She continued to dance with and around Jayden, her hair flying. His hair swept away from his face as he danced too, and the silver ring on his thumb sparkled when he moved his hand.

"_Now that I'm losing hope_

_And there's nothing else to show_

_For all of the days that we spent_

_Carried away from home_

_Some things I'll never know_

_And I had to let them go_

_I'm sitting all alone_

_Feeling empty_..."

They danced the same way to the chorus once more. The music blasted through the speakers, traveling through the air to pump along their circulatory systems and make them move. Becky had been longing to dance like this with such wild abandon for a long time, and obviously nobody here really cared whether or not she looked like an idiot doing it.

"_Some things I'll never know_

_And I had to let them go_

_Some things I'll never know_

_And I had to let them go_

"_Well, I'm sitting all alone_

_Feeling empty_..."

Becky repeated the chorus dance with Jayden, happily twirling around and clasping hands with him, then pushed back and letting go. She found that if she could just try to pretend Jayden was Yuki, it was a little easier to dance with him. And it was fun... but it also made her miss Yuki. She wanted to dance with him again, to their song, and it didn't matter which version. It could be the slow version, where he held her as close as he was able, and led her effortlessly around the dance floor. Or it could be the techno version, where they twisted around each other and he could laugh at her when she tripped over her own two feet. That was the first thing they were going to do on a date... they were going to go somewhere secluded, and they were going to just _dance_. Yeah, that would be good.

"_Feel the pressure_

_It's getting closer now_

_You're better off_

_Without me_..."

As the song faded away, Becky lost her balance and fell against her dancing partner, so that she and Jayden were chest to chest. Whoops.

She looked up at him as "Phenomenon" by Thousand Foot Krutch began to play. "Um... sorry if I was a little rusty." She quickly stepped back from him, grinning shyly. "It's been a while since I danced with anybody - and that was my boyfriend. To a slow song."

He shrugged. "Hey, don't worry. You were alright. Although, that last pose..."

She shook her head. "Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to land like that, I tripped over some air..."

"Hey Becks!" She turned to see Bret with some of his friends, and he was holding... wait. Was he offering her a cigarette? Her brother was offering her a cigarette. "You want a smoke?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Bret! Are you serious? You obviously forget how sick that stuff makes my boyfriend. Do what you want with your body, but I'm not ruining mine. That stuff can kill you!"

"Becks, you won't die from one cigarette. At least try it. Come on, it makes you feel really good." He held it out again. "How do you think I put up with Dad being gone all the time? It's the cigarettes that keep me going. Just try _one_. If you don't like it, I'm not gonna force you to do more but you gotta at least try. I mean, maybe you'll like it. You never know till you try, right? It's the best feeling in the world."

Becky just stared at the cigarette. She tried to think of Yuki... she tried to remember how sick he got when he'd just breathed it in. But she really needed to feel good right now... and she didn't feel good. If that could make her feel good... maybe she should try it.

She reached over and took the cigarette with trembling fingers. "Okay... I'll try _one_, but just to make you happy. After that I'm not gonna smoke anymore, okay? And I really don't think you should either... are you gonna light it for

me? I'm not doing it myself."

"Gotcha, sis." He held up a silver lighter and touched the flame to the

cigarette he'd given her. "Just take a couple puffs. You don't have to smoke the whole thing if you don't want, but it gets better the longer you do it."

Becky tentatively held the cigarette up to her mouth. She wrapped her lips around it and breathed in once. She immediately coughed, and took the thing out. "Ugh!"

"That'll happen the first time." Bret held the cigarette up to her mouth once more. "Try one more time, it'll feel good. Promise."

Becky sighed and did as he requested, inhaling once again. To her surprise she didn't cough this time, and it actually felt kind of... soothing going into her throat. It felt good coming back out too, when she blew the cloud of smoke into the air. She did this twice more, and she couldn't even remember why she'd been upset. What had she been thinking about that had got her all riled up? She couldn't recall, other than she had been thinking something about Yuki... or Jayden. She blinked and thought harder. She'd been thinking about how Jayden reminded her a little of Yuki at the moment.

Jayden smiled at her, and took her by the hand - the one that wasn't holding her cigarette. He pulled her close - and the weird thing was, she didn't even stop him. She was trying to pretend he was Yuki again, so she smiled back at him. "Ah, Becks... you know, I've been wanting to do something for a really long time now."

Becky could imagine Yuki calling her "Becks", and giggled at that thought, because he'd always called her Rebecca. It was funny and sweet to think of him calling her what everyone else called her. "What? What do you want to do?"

Jayden's smile got softer, his eyelids drooping halfway. "I wanna kiss you."

She could hear Yuki's voice telling her that. _"Rebecca... the first thing I want to do when you get back is kiss you. I want to kiss you."_ So she closed her eyes and smiled, ready to accept Yuki's kiss. She didn't care if it hurt or not, she wanted him to kiss her. She missed him so much. "So... so do it then..."

"It'd be my pleasure." Jayden leaned down, and before she knew it, he was kissing her.

Becky screamed and opened her eyes to find Jayden, not Yuki, pressing his lips to hers. She shouted because of the pain and pushed him away. She shouldn't be doing this. Why was she doing this? Why did she let him kiss her?

She ran back to her room, pulling her top off so she could look in the mirror

and see how bad the burns on her back were. She already knew how bad the burns on her cheek and lips were... they weren't that bad since Jayden had only been in contact with those areas for about a second, but they still hurt and she didn't know how long he'd been touching her back when they kissed.

She locked the door and pressed her back up against it, aggravating the injuries even more. Finally losing the burst of adrenaline that had allowed her to run like that in the first place, she slid down. She slumped down against the door, already feeling the tears escaping from her eyes. "Wh-Why..." She let the tears come. "Why didn't I stop him...?" She began to wail, hiding her face in her arms as she hugged her knees to her chest. Of course Jayden was similar to Yuki, but...

He wasn't similar enough that she should think it had been Yuki that kissed her. She knew she'd been unfaithful.

She didn't think she could bear to tell Yuki. It would break his heart.

**(1) Isn't Bret delightful? XD At least he's not a total pervert...**

**OMG LONG CHAPPIE. Blame my teachers for boring me in the first half of school... but the second half I got attacked by preschoolers. They're so adorable! T-T**

**OK, since I know some people were asking about this:**

**THE DEADLINE FOR THE CONTEST ENTRIES IS DECEMBER 20th. I will choose a winner hopefully sometime after the New Year or sooner if possible, that's tentative. I will accept entries a day later, but if you're after December 21, you won't be included in this contest. If I have another one, you'll be eligible for that. But if you don't send the pic/oneshot to me by December 21, sorry. ^^;**

**So start sending your pics/oneshots! I can't wait to see/read them! ^^ I love you guys, thanks for reading! Here's the preview for ya. :D**

_**Preview of Chapter 16...**_

_**-xxx-**_

"_You do realize this is the same guy whose smoking gave me an asthma attack the first time he showed up over here? He's not responsible enough to take care of children! You cannot want to stay there!"_

"_And who the hell are you to tell me what I can and can't want, Yuki Sohma?"_

"_I'm your boyfriend! And I thought you cared about me a lot more than you're acting like! Because you're acting like you don't care how your decisions will make **me** feel!"_

"_And you're acting like they're not **my** decisions to make! You are not **ME**!"_

_There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, which made Becky a little worried that Yuki had hung up on her. "Yuki? Are you still there?"_

"_... Rebecca?"_

"_What?"_

"_... Are we... Are we fighting?"_


	16. Chapter 16

_With this heart, I will regret the words that hurt you._

The next week was like a hazy dream for Becky. It was like that nightmare where you can see what's going on, you _know_ what's going on, but you're not even walking. You're just floating through, and you _know_ it's a dream but you can't wake up.

All she did was go to school. She did her math assignments, she read _Catcher in the Rye_ even though she didn't want to, she worked on her project and nearly had it finished. She muddled through biology, then dreaded gym (why was she stuck here where Tohru couldn't help her through that?), slept in study hall, watched historical documentaries in Eastern Civ., and didn't even eat all of her lunch.

And also, to her horror, she found that she couldn't stop smoking. It wasn't even that she wanted to, or that it felt good anymore. Sure, it had definitely felt good the first time, with the energy of dance moving through her and the atmosphere of party and peer pressure around her. But it was just disgusting to her now, so why did she do it? She tried not to, she pushed her hardest to just not do it anymore.

But it took over her mind. Even after that first time, when Bret had offered her another cigarette after the others had left, she was terrified to find that she couldn't refuse it. And now, she had developed a pattern for when she needed to smoke. She got up at five and smoked two before she left for school at six-fifty. Then she "went to the bathroom" for a few minutes during third period, and held open the window in the girls' room so the smoke could get out. Then she had another one at lunch, going outside and making sure nobody could see her. Then she held on till after school, where she went straight home, smoked once, then had another one after dinner. By the time she went to bed she'd had six cigarettes, and she still woke up once or sometimes even twice a night for another. Averaging seven or eight, she was slowly working her way up to a pack a day.

That scared her so much.

What would she do when she got back to Kaibara? She'd have to stop because she knew Yuki couldn't take it. And she didn't want to do anything to hurt him. That was the last thing she ever wanted to do. But she didn't know if she _could_ stop, that was the problem. It wasn't like she hadn't tried to stop. She had tried several times to go without a cigarette. She got weak and massive headaches attacked her, and standing up made her dizzy if she hadn't smoked on time. Her stomach would hurt, and the first time she had tried not smoking she'd very nearly passed out.

She was terrified of returning to Japan now. If she couldn't stop smoking, she would have to leave Yuki forever. He was her best friend, and she didn't think she could live without him, not to mention the rest of his crazy-ass awesome family. She'd be depressed forever if she couldn't see them again.

Eventually Saturday came. Bret of course knew well enough to leave her alone, and he'd gone out with some friends. Probably to go get drunk and roll a car or something since some of his friends were in high school already. She wasn't even sure she cared anymore, but she did try to care. After all, she had barely seen Jason during the entire time she'd been here. He'd probably been here a total of about three days in... three weeks now, hadn't it been? She had to stop acting so stupid in less than a week. If she wanted to return to Kaibara to be with Yuki and the rest of the Sohmas, she had to shape up. Smoking hurt Yuki and she knew it hurt her too. She'd learned all about this and yet... here she was doing it. She had to stop, she had to...

Trying to give up smoking hadn't been going so well though. She could now say that she was solidly smoking eight ciagrettes a day. That was half a pack. It made her sick but she couldn't stop. She hated it when Bret was home and she had to smoke in front of him, because she cried while she did it. Every time she had a cigarette she couldn't stop the tears from going down her face. She could imagine what this would do to Yuki, and that tore her apart inside.

What she didn't expect was a call from the very person she was dreading to come home to.

She had held back the urge to smoke for as long as she could. But eventually, around three in the afternoon maybe (and Bret still wasn't back yet), she went to go get the pack and lighter in the kitchen drawer. Just as she was getting up from the couch, her cell phone rang out. She sighed and wrung her hands for a moment after looking at the caller ID. It was Yuki, of course. If she didn't pick up he'd chew her out later for it. _Why didn't you have your phone? Where were you? Didn't you see it was me?_ "Looks like I'll have to hold out a few more minutes while I talk to my baby." She took a breath, opened the phone, and held it up to her ear. "Hi, Yuki."

"Rebecca, I'm sorry I haven't called you. I've been so busy... apparently Kyo really wants to do that prank with you and he's making me prepare for it. Not to mention drama after school, and all my work..." He let out a breath. "But Merry Christmas. I got a present for you."

"No, no, I understand. You're busy, that's fine. I've been a little busy too. And Merry Christmas... I still gotta get you something, I just wasn't... thinking about it."

"You sound down. What's the matter? You're not sick, are you?"

"No... I'm just kinda tired. I've been in a bad mood lately, I miss you so much."

"Oh..." She could practically hear him blushing, and she just found it way too cute. "I miss you too. But don't worry, our suffering will soon be over. We've only got one more week left until we can once again be together. Isn't that exciting?"

She thought about everything. Sure, she didn't really want to stay here, but it wasn't fair to leave Bret to fend for himself in this hellhole. She saw that when he had too much work to do, like cooking and keeping the place looking alright on top of the stuff he had to do for school, he drank more and he went through more cigarettes. Not to mention that she couldn't be thrilled about coming back until she was absolutely sure that she wouldn't be smoking. "Yeah... can't wait."

His voice was laced with concern and she could almost see him tearing up on the other end. "Rebecca, I'm really very worried about you right now. You don't sound very excited."

"No, no, I am. I wanna see you so bad and I miss you like crazy and I can't wait to see you. But... well..." She had to lie to him, no matter how much it would hurt. "I kind of... like it here." Well, if she was going to lie anyway, she might as well lie big.

"... Excuse me?"

Becky blinked, then looked at the kitchen. Damn... so close but so far away. If she could have her cigarette then maybe she wouldn't be feeling as bitchy as she felt at Yuki for that comment. "'Excuse me' what, Yuki? Huh, what? Maybe I kind of like spending time with my dad." Another big lie. She would have rather been in Kaibara, but her father wasn't _so_ bad. At least he was trying. She just wanted to try and stall, maybe give herself one more week to quit smoking and she could go back.

"Well, you must have hit your head or something. Have you been climbing trees again? I've told you and so has Ayame, you don't have the coordination..."

"No, Yuki, I haven't been climbing trees. I gave up on that before we even went to the trial thing. What's so bad about me wanting to spend time with the other half of my family? I barely knew I had a brother, and my dad hadn't been in my life for the past ten years plus! You don't think I wanna know him?"

"You do realize this is the same guy whose smoking gave me an asthma attack the first time he showed up over here? He's not responsible enough to take care of children! You cannot want to stay there!"

"And who the hell are you to tell me what I can and can't want, Yuki Sohma?"

"I'm your boyfriend! And I thought you cared about me a lot more than you're acting like! Because you're acting like you don't care how your decisions will make _me_ feel!"

"And you're acting like they're not _my_ decisions to make! You are not _**me**_!"

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, which made Becky a little worried that Yuki had hung up on her. "Yuki? Are you still there?"

"... Rebecca?"

"What?"

"... Are we... Are we fighting?"

Becky felt horrified as she realized that they were, in fact, fighting. Save for the time that she had smacked him, they'd never actually fought before. They always teased each other; she would make fun of his cooking and then he'd offer a rebuttal by poking fun at her drawing skills. But it was never serious, they'd never gotten into an argument like this. Tiny arguments, of course, every couple had those over stupid little things... but they'd never all-out yelled at each other like this. "Yeah... yeah, I think we are, Yuki."

"I see. Perhaps we shouldn't speak to each other, then, until we're both calmed down. If this continues all we're going to do is end up in another fight. I think you know that, Rebecca."

"Fine." Maybe it was half that she needed a smoke, but the other half was that she really was mad at him. Of course she didn't want to stay here, but she should have the freedom to make that decision without Yuki trying to control her. She may have been his girlfriend but she certainly wasn't his slave and he didn't own her. "You can't tell me what to do, Yuki. It's my choice."

"I know that perfectly well."

"Good. Then until you can _accept_ it, I don't want to talk to you."

"If that's the way you feel, then good-bye. I guess when you come back to Kaibara Hatori will have to erase your mind again. Good day, Rebecca Bridges." With that, Yuki's end of the line went dead.

Becky slammed her phone shut, then went into the kitchen to grab the cigarettes and lighter. Her hand trembled as she sat down on the couch and lit her cigarette. She raised it to her lips and began to smoke.

It was the most disgusting thing that had ever gone into her body via her mouth, but she knew what would happen if she didn't. A few tears escaped her eyes as she inhaled and exhaled slowly.

Then the weight of what she'd just said to Yuki sunk in and hit her. She had told him basically that she never wanted to talk to him again. And he had threatened her with saying that she and her mother would have their minds wiped... again. He was really being serious.

More tears rolled down her face, and as soon as she was done with the cigarette she crushed it in the ashtray and curled up on the couch, sobbing and holding her head. "Oh God," she cried, burying her face in her knees. She hadn't meant to say that to him... he'd just made her so mad... "What have I done? What have I done?"

_**Preview of Chapter 17...**_

_**xxx**_

"_I've never seen Yuki so upset over something, especially a girl. I don't know if it was something she said to him, or if it's the guilt of something he said to her..."_

"_Oh, it was her alright." Nancy played with her hair, letting out a deep sigh. "I know Becky, and if she gets riled up she can say some pretty nasty things. I have no doubt that Yuki is partly responsible, but I have a feeling Becky did most of the hurting. But you're right. They've never fought before."_

"_Not like this, at least," he agreed. "We've got to do something and we've got to do it fast. Think of what they'd both be like if they broke up. Even I can see how perfect they are for each other, but they're both stubborn."_

"_I have no idea what to do. I've never been good with romance and the whole making up thing."_

"_Well, luckily for us it just so happens that I excel at it." He pushed some hair behind his ear. "The first step is to get them to know when enough is enough. They've never fought before, so they're going to need someone to tell them when it's time to kiss and make up."_


	17. Chapter 17

**YIKES. JINKIES. CRIKEY. GADZOOKS. INSERT RANDOM EXCLAMATION HERE.**

**How long has it BEEN, people? I-I'm really sorry I let it go this long, guys... I haven't felt motivated and I haven't been in a Furuba mood for a LONG LONG LONG time. I'm still not exactly, but I'm working on it! I did part of my Akito story yesterday, so hopefully I'm getting on track.**

**One announcement: congratulations to hoppybunny98 for winning my contest! It was way past the deadline, but she was the only one who even entered soooo I decided to give her the prize. She will have a character who is involved with Shigure in here soon! Not yet, but soon... *pulls out magical device of plotting power* BEHOLD. XD**

**Also, PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM. It has some important info.**

**On with the story! I'm really really sorry, guys, and I know it's still really bad because it's kind of a filler chap... but I still hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

_With this heart, I will try to save you from yourself._

Nancy had stopped counting the days since Akito had put her in this "dungeon". It felt like an eternity, but at the same time it felt like she'd barely been in here an hour. She amused herself by tracing over the walls like she was trying to draw, but any sane person would say she needed to be committed to a mental hospital.

Her most frequent visitor was Shigure, who was still trying unsuccessfully to woo her. He was so silly, showering her with mindless compliments and doing things that were _supposed_ to be romantic but really weren't. Hatori sometimes came to her, but when he did all they ended up doing was staring at each other, like they wanted to say something but couldn't think of anything. They both knew, though, that the real reason was that if they said anything to each other they'd just wind up making each other mad. And nobody liked going to sleep mad.

Akito sure as hell never visited her. He probably didn't want to risk stepping out of that fucking sterile environment he'd locked himself up in. Sometimes she wished he would go out, step on a nail, get tetanus, and die. But then she reminded herself that she shouldn't wish things like that on anybody, even if the person in question was an evil asshole who'd spied on her daughter and trapped her in this stupid lightless room. He was actually smart not to come here, because she'd just punch him in his face the second she saw that pretty little mug.

Ayame also visited her often. Unlike Shigure he actually cared about her feelings genuinely. He didn't rain down false compliments, but if he thought something about her deserved a compliment he would give it. His compliments usually made her wince though, because he would start out by saying something nice and then give bad news. Last week it had been, "That's a very pretty shirt... by the way, I'm sorry but Akito hasn't changed his mind." The week before it was, "You know, your face looks so much better without make-up... oh, and before I forget things aren't going well with Ritsu and his friend without your food." And so on, and so on.

She had the feeling that today, when Ayame visited her, it wouldn't be any different. He'd say something about her hair, and then tell her that something was wrong.

He opened the door and poked his head in, almost nervously. Like a snake who was checking if there was any predators around. She was kind of disappointed that all the Sohma members seemed to act like their Zodiac animal so it was easy to guess what they were in the cycle. Oh well. "Nancy-chan? May I come in and talk to you?"

She shrugged, blowing out a breath and pushing her bangs up. "Anyone who wants to keep me company is welcome. Come to keep me company then?"

"For a while, I suppose." He walked in and shut the door before sitting down next to her and leaning against the wall. He had told her that he would have preferred to stand, if there wasn't a draft coming from the sides of the door, and that it wasn't as bad coming from the bottom. "Oh Nancy-chan! Are you doing something different with your hair? It looks so nice."

She rolled her eyes. Yup, that was Ayame "the Snake" Sohma, predictable as they came. "Stow it, Aya. If you haven't noticed my hair's sticking up in all directions and it's frizzy. It looks like I rubbed my head with a balloon. Why? Because Akito refuses to let me out of here. You'd think there was sushi in here if I didn't have perfume with me. Skip it and just bear the bad news."

He blinked a few times, then seemed to deflate a bit. With the little time she'd known him she'd managed to figure out his tell. "Oh, well... alright. Just don't shoot the messenger, okay?"

"Unless he's the one who caused it."

"It wasn't me this time! I swear!"

"Relax. I shot the sheriff, but I _DID NOT_ shoot the deputy."

"You would if the gun had had more than one bullet. You would have shot the whole town."

"Wouldn'ta shot bad, bad Leroy Brown though."

"Because you already hog-tied him before shooting the sheriff."

"... True." Nancy reached over and played with his hair. "So, what is it?"

Ayame sighed before taking Nancy's hand in his. "I don't want you to get too upset, but... Yuki and Becca are in the middle of a... how should I say... a _spat_."

"A spat."

"Oh yes. And I must say it's affecting Yuki quite a lot, though I can't seem to reach Becca and ask how it's affecting her. But I assume she's suffering as well." He let out another sigh and shook his head. "I've never seen Yuki so upset over something, especially a girl. I don't know if it was something she said to him, or if it's the guilt of something he said to her..."

"Oh, it was her alright." Nancy played with her hair, letting out a deep sigh. "I know Becky, and if she gets riled up she can say some pretty nasty things. I have no doubt that Yuki is partly responsible, but I have a feeling Becky did most of the hurting." She sighed too. "But you're right. They've never fought before."

"Not like this, at least," he agreed. "We've got to do something and we've got to do it fast. Think of what they'd both be like if they broke up. Even I can see how perfect they are for each other, but they're both stubborn."

"I have no idea what to do. I've never been good with romance and the whole making up thing."

"Well, luckily for us it just so happens that I excel at it." He pushed some hair behind his ear. "The first step is to get them to know when enough is enough. They've never fought before, so they're going to need someone to tell them when it's time to kiss and make up."

"I agree wholeheartedly, Aya." She rested her chin on her knuckles, biting her lip. "But how? You said Becky's not answering her phone."

"Well, she did answer a few times, but as soon as I said 'Hi-hi, Becca', she just hung up on me." He shrugged. "She probably thinks Yuki put me up to it, and she's positively _livid_ at him."

"Probably. She does hold grudges, especially against boys. So how are we going to get them to apologize to each other?"

"Ah, simple, my dear." Ayame stood up, a well-meaning but sinister grin adorning his lips. "We tug at their heartstrings with no mercy. We need someone who's on both their sides, one person."

Nancy raised an eyebrow. "And by this you mean...?"

"Huh." Ayame opened the door. "Nancy, darling, have you seen Momiji today...?"

_**Preview of Chapter 18**_

_**-xxx-**_

_She looked at the clock, which read one-fourteen. She sighed and picked up the phone, not knowing who to expect. "Hello? Who is this and why are you calling me at one in the morning?"_

_She became slightly annoyed when she heard Momiji on the other end. "B-Becca-chan?"_

_She shook her head and blinked. "What is it, Momiji-kun?"_

_Her heart broke when she heard him sniffling on the other end. "I-I m-miss..." His voice broke, and he sobbed once before trying to speak again._

"_When are you coming home, Becca-chan?"_

* * *

**OKAY SOME IMPORTANT NEWS BULLETINS. STAY TUNED.**

**1: Since nobody entered anything in my contest, I'm going to have another before the story is over. I'm not sure when it'll be, but the tentative date is sometime during the summer. It will be another drawing or fic contest, but this time the options are limited a bit more. Character choices for the winner are: Momiji, Akito, and Hatsuharu (because love triangles with this guy, Rin, and an OC are fun as hell.) Thanks for considering!**

**And...**

**2: THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE. So... what is UP, people? *cries* I haven't been getting reviews for this story when I update! It makes me feel unappreciated. It's one of the reasons I haven't been motivated to write. When I see reviews, I get happy. When I'm happy, I write. That is almost a math equation right there, so thank my trig teacher. SO, in light of this... IF I DO NOT RECEIVE AT LEAST 5 REVIEWS PER CHAPTER STARTING WITH THIS ONE, I WILL NOT UPDATE FOR LIKE A YEAR. (Probably exaggerating, but hey, whatever works.) So if you guys like this story and want to see it updated more often, PLEASE review. If you read it, or favorite it, or put it on our alert list, post a review! I don't mind how short it is, but I live off reviews.**

**Thanks guys, and thanks for waiting SOO DAMN LONG. I appreciate those of you who do.**

**And of course, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^^**


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